Lewis Hamilton’s candid remarks about his struggles adapting to Ferrari’s 2025 F1 automotive have shocked Danica Patrick, highlighting ongoing challenges for the seven-time world champion in the course of 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, exhibiting 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 Components 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 current robust performances in Monaco, Spain, and Canada show 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 robust 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 could possibly be in danger, with solely three races left to show himself amid Ferrari’s disappointing 2025 marketing campaign. Moreover, Ferrari is reportedly in search of solutions about Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation struggles to the SF-25 automotive, which differs considerably from his earlier Mercedes automobile. 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 automotive.
In a current interview with Sky Sports activities F1, the seven-time F1 world champion defined that every observe looks like a first-time expertise with the Ferrari, describing the automotive as “very, very difficult to adapt to.” He expressed optimism concerning the race, noting that the group had new medium and laborious tyres out there, which may provide 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 stated she was significantly intrigued by Hamilton’s description of the Ferrari’s variations from the Mercedes and was inquisitive about which elements the motive force finds tough to deal with.
Lewis Hamilton’s greatest technical hurdle has been Ferrari’s rear suspension design on the 2025 automotive, which has confirmed tough for him to grasp. Moreover, he has pushed for adjustments within the energy steering mapping to higher exploit the SF-25’s potential. Nevertheless, Ferrari is predicted to attend till the 2026 laws come into impact earlier than making such important changes, which means Lewis Hamilton might have to deal with these challenges all through the remainder of the season. The British driver is raring for the group to shift focus totally to subsequent 12 months’s automotive 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 issues. Fred Vasseur stays one of many few Ferrari figures nonetheless assured within the 2025 automotive’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 kind.