Former Ferrari group boss Mattia Binotto has overtly acknowledged that the Maranello group’s efficiency since Lewis Hamilton joined as Charles Leclerc’s teammate for the 2025 Formulation 1 marketing campaign has been “very clearly” disappointing. The outcomes on observe haven’t met expectations, reflecting challenges the group continues to face this yr.
The Italian supervisor, who served as Ferrari’s group principal from 2019 to 2022, understands the immense stress of main the long-lasting Italian group. Throughout his tenure, he steered Ferrari to second place within the constructors’ championship in each 2019 and 2022, though his time on the helm yielded solely seven Grand Prix victories earlier than he stepped down. He now heads Audi’s F1 mission at Sauber, bringing a wealth of expertise from his time managing Ferrari.
After Mattia Binotto’s departure, Ferrari appointed Fred Vasseur as group principal, who performed an instrumental function in securing Lewis Hamilton’s high-profile transfer to Ferrari on a two-year contract beginning in 2025, reportedly price £39 million yearly. Regardless of the fanfare, Lewis Hamilton’s affect on Ferrari’s 2025 marketing campaign has but to justify the numerous funding.
The seven-time Formulation 1 World Champion has didn’t safe a podium end in any of the primary 9 rounds of the season. His strongest performances have are available Dash races, together with a victory within the Shanghai Dash and a third-place end within the Miami Dash, aided by a strategic early pit cease for slick tyres.
In the meantime, it has been Charles Leclerc who has constantly delivered outcomes for Ferrari this season. The Monegasque driver has achieved all three of the group’s podium finishes to date: second place within the Monaco Grand Prix and third-place finishes in Saudi Arabia and Spain. Charles Leclerc’s sturdy exhibiting in Spain even helped elevate Ferrari to second place within the constructors’ standings.
Hamilton’s struggles with the SF-25’s unpredictable rear-end dealing with have led him to privately encourage Ferrari to shift their improvement focus towards the 2026 Formulation 1 rules. Nonetheless, Mattia Binotto means that Hamilton’s difficulties might also stem from his age, noting that the motive force turned 40 earlier this yr.
In a latest interview for the Italian media, the previous Ferrari group boss expressed his perspective: the Briton was “already on the finish of his profession” when Ferrari signed him. Mattia Binotto believes that the perfect state of affairs would have been for Ferrari to convey Lewis Hamilton in just a few years earlier to maximise his peak efficiency.
This viewpoint contrasts sharply with that of Piero Ferrari, son of the legendary Enzo Ferrari and vice chairman of the group. Earlier than the season started, Piero Ferrari acknowledged that he had completely no issues about Hamilton’s age affecting his efficiency at Ferrari.
Regardless of the boldness from Piero Ferrari, Hamilton’s present place within the 2025 drivers’ championship highlights the challenges he faces. He sits sixth with 71 factors, and his finest race end to date has been fourth place at Imola. Comparatively, his former Mercedes teammate George Russell leads with 111 factors and has secured 4 podiums this season, outpacing Lewis Hamilton since his swap to Ferrari.
Within the constructors’ championship, Ferrari holds solely a slender six-point lead over Mercedes. George Russell’s sturdy performances alongside Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli have saved the Silver Arrows aggressive, additional emphasizing the hole Ferrari is making an attempt to shut.
Mattia Binotto has admitted that Ferrari’s outcomes this season are “not good” when seen objectively. Nonetheless, he cautions towards harsh judgments from outsiders, stressing his confidence within the group’s talents.
He emphasised that regardless of the present difficulties, he is aware of each member of the Ferrari group personally and believes they possess the expertise, energy, and dedication to enhance the automotive’s efficiency. Binotto stays optimistic that Ferrari can nonetheless discover success and obtain satisfying outcomes earlier than the season concludes.
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