Ted Kravitz, a journalist from Sky F1, raised questions about Lewis Hamilton’s approach to his debut season at Ferrari, suggesting that the British driver may have underestimated the challenges of transferring his experience from Mercedes to the Italian team.
In an analysis on the Sky F1 program, Kravitz stated that Hamilton believed he could use his expertise acquired during his successful tenure at Mercedes to quickly bring Ferrari back to the top: “He thought he could bring the experience he had at Mercedes, I think it was ten years, and the previous years at McLaren, and then change a few things to put Ferrari back on the winning track,” he said.
Furthermore, Kravitz highlighted that Hamilton believed he had the full support of Ferrari’s president, John Elkann, and team principal Fred Vasseur. However, this support seemed to have diminished over the course of the season, especially after Elkann’s statements at the end of September: “Lewis believed he had two people, John Elkann and Fred Vasseur, who fully supported him. This changed at the end of September or October, when Elkann made his strong comments.”
Kravitz also mentioned that the long-term contract offered by Ferrari was a crucial factor in Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes: “He went to Ferrari because they offered a long-term contract, unlike Mercedes, and the promise that he could win some races,” he added.
Despite the difficulties in the 2025 Formula 1 season, Hamilton remains hopeful for a stronger performance in 2026, a year in which Ferrari expects to be more competitive: “I think Lewis will stay. He will wait for 2026, but he went to Ferrari wanting to win and be as fast as, or faster than, (Charles) Leclerc,” Kravitz concluded.
Hamilton had a challenging year in his debut at Ferrari, failing to achieve any podiums in GP throughout the entire season. His situation worsened further at the end of the championship, when he failed to advance from the first phase of the qualifying sessions in the last three races of the year.
