Lewis Hamilton’s candid remarks about his struggles adapting to Ferrari’s 2025 F1 automobile have stunned Danica Patrick, highlighting ongoing challenges for the seven-time world champion through the Canadian Grand Prix qualifying, which was held yesterday on the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. Lewis Hamilton secured fifth place in Q3 for the third consecutive race, displaying a resurgence in his single-lap efficiency—a ability that had been much less evident since his transfer from Mercedes to Ferrari forward of the 2025 Formulation 1 season.
Early within the 12 months, the Briton solely managed a top-five qualifying place as soon as within the first seven rounds, however latest sturdy performances in Monaco, Spain, and Canada reveal an enchancment. On the Canadian GP, Lewis Hamilton even led Ferrari’s qualifying efforts, outperforming teammate Charles Leclerc, who completed eighth after a tough session. This marked simply the third time Hamilton has out-qualified the Monegasque since becoming a member of Maranello.
Lewis Hamilton’s sturdy qualifying run helped shift focus away from the extraordinary hypothesis surrounding Ferrari’s group principal Fred Vasseur. Italian media had reported that Fred Vasseur’s place may very well be in danger, with solely three races left to show himself amid Ferrari’s disappointing 2025 marketing campaign. Moreover, Ferrari is reportedly looking for solutions about Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation struggles to the SF-25 automobile, which differs considerably from his earlier Mercedes car. Regardless of his P5 qualifying place, Hamilton admitted that each race presents a brand new problem as a result of distinct nature of Ferrari’s automobile.
In a latest interview with Sky Sports activities F1, the seven-time F1 world champion defined that every monitor looks like a first-time expertise with the Ferrari, describing the automobile as “very, very tough to adapt to.” He expressed optimism concerning the race, noting that the group had new medium and onerous tyres obtainable, which may supply a strategic benefit. This admission of fixed adaptation challenges caught the eye of former IndyCar star Danica Patrick, who expressed shock at Hamilton’s feedback. Patrick mentioned she was notably intrigued by Hamilton’s description of the Ferrari’s variations from the Mercedes and was interested by which elements the driving force finds tough to deal with.
Lewis Hamilton’s largest technical hurdle has been Ferrari’s rear suspension design on the 2025 automobile, which has confirmed tough for him to grasp. Moreover, he has pushed for modifications within the energy steering mapping to higher exploit the SF-25’s potential. Nevertheless, Ferrari is anticipated to attend till the 2026 laws come into impact earlier than making such important changes, which means Lewis Hamilton could have to deal with these challenges all through the remainder of the season. The British driver is keen for the group to shift focus totally to subsequent 12 months’s automobile to enhance competitiveness.
Whereas the Briton continues to face these adaptation struggles and Ferrari falls additional behind McLaren within the Constructors’ Championship standings, many insiders share his considerations. Fred Vasseur stays one of many few Ferrari figures nonetheless assured within the 2025 automobile’s improvement, selecting to delay a full transition to the 2026 mannequin. In the meantime, Lewis Hamilton’s candid reflections underline the uphill battle the group faces to regain its profitable type.