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Ferrari insists its working relationship with Lewis Hamilton is far healthier than public perception suggests, despite a winless and frustrating first season following the seven-time world champion’s move from Mercedes.
The Italian Formula 1 team acknowledged that both sides underestimated how long it would take to adapt after Hamilton ended a 12-season run with Mercedes and joined Ferrari for the 2025 campaign. The transition has been closely scrutinized, particularly after several terse radio exchanges between Hamilton and his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, drew attention early in the season.
Team officials say those moments were amplified by frustration rather than signaling deeper issues. Hamilton previously addressed the radio chatter publicly, noting that similar communication styles exist elsewhere on the grid and should not be viewed as unusual. Ferrari maintains that the internal relationship has progressed positively despite outside speculation.
Ferrari finished fourth in the constructors’ championship, 435 points behind McLaren, and failed to win a grand prix in 2025. Charles Leclerc and Hamilton placed fifth and sixth in the drivers’ standings, respectively, falling short of preseason expectations of a title challenge. According to the team, those results contributed heavily to the perception of strain.
Much of Ferrari’s performance shortfall was attributed to difficulties in qualifying rather than race pace. The SF-25 generally showed competitive speed on Sundays but struggled to consistently deliver optimal one-lap performance. Ferrari identified tyre preparation as the central issue, particularly with this season’s Pirelli compounds, which proved more durable yet more sensitive to overheating.
With most races won from pole position in 2025, qualifying became increasingly decisive. Small variations in tyre preparation often produced large swings in grid position, with margins frequently separated by tenths of a second across much of the field. Ferrari cited several situational setbacks that compromised qualifying efforts, including missed laps and on-track incidents that masked underlying pace.
Despite the disappointing season, Ferrari remains confident that continued adaptation between Hamilton and the team will yield improvements. Team leadership believes the relationship itself is strong and that time, technical refinement, and better qualifying execution will reshape both results and perception in future campaigns.
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