Lewis Hamilton told when ‘real test’ arrives after Ferrari admission
Lewis Hamilton has had an underwhelming start to his Ferrari career
By the admission of Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, he and Lewis Hamilton underestimated the challenge of his adaptation.
However, F1 2026 is when the “real test” arrives for Hamilton versus team-mate Charles Leclerc, so says Jacques Villeneuve, with the huge regulatory reset on its way.
Lewis Hamilton: The ‘real test’ to come in F1 2026?
Ferrari life thus far has not hit expectations for Hamilton. He is yet to feature on the podium, something which Leclerc has pulled off five times, with a gap of 42 points having formed between the pair in the Drivers’ Championship, in Leclerc’s favour.
Hamilton hit a new low at the Hungarian Grand Prix, calling himself “useless” as he dropped out in Q2, while Leclerc went on to claim pole, adding that Ferrari should “change driver”. He finished the race where he started in twelfth.
Speaking with the Formula 1 website, Ferrari team boss Vasseur admitted that he and Hamilton are probably guilty of underestimating the task at hand.
In joining Ferrari, Hamilton walked into a completely unfamiliar, unique culture, while his entire, record-breaking Formula 1 career had been powered by a Mercedes engine up until then.
“I think perhaps that we underestimate the challenge for Lewis at the beginning of the season,” said Vasseur.
“He spent almost 10 years with McLaren and then 10 years with Mercedes – that’s almost 20 years with Mercedes in the same environment.
“It was a huge change for Lewis in terms of culture, in terms of people around him, in terms of software, in terms of car, in terms of every single topic was a big change perhaps that we underestimate this, Lewis and myself.”
That leap of faith into a new culture was also picked up on by 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who suggested that Ferrari has generated “confusion” which has not helped Hamilton’s situation.
“Lewis comes from completely different experiences in Formula 1 and in the past he has always worked with the English and German methods,” Villeneuve told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Now he is realising how different everything is at Ferrari.
“It is certainly surprising to see him so demoralised.
“It always seems that there is a bit of confusion at Ferrari in terms of decisions and communication, even via radio, and this does not help him adapt.”
However, all hope is not lost for Hamilton. As long as he can rise to the challenge of F1 2026.
With new chassis and engine regulations on the way, major shifts in the pecking order are possible. Hamilton and Ferrari will hope to be the biggest winners in the shake-up.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc head-to-head in F1 2025
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
“Next year will be the real test with Leclerc,” Villeneuve said of Hamilton.
“This car was not designed for Hamilton, and with the new regulations, everything will be reset in 2026.”
But alas, Villeneuve concludes on Hamilton: “There was a lot of attention and expectation surrounding his arrival, and there is no denying that the initial period has undoubtedly been disappointing.”
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