Hamilton's Ferrari Frustrations: Reflecting on a Disastrous 2025 F1 Season

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Lewis Hamilton's past few days have been dominated by the final throes of a historically disappointing 2025 Formula 1 season with Ferrari. The seven-time world champion finished 12th at the Qatar Grand Prix, marking his joint-worst result of the year, and was subsequently replaced by Ferrari during first practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the season finale this weekend, according to multiple motorsport outlets.

At Qatar, Hamilton was eliminated in the first segment of sprint qualifying, out-qualifying only the Alpine drivers. When asked by Sky Sports about positives heading into the race, his terse response was simply "the weather is nice," underscoring his frustration with the SF-25 Ferrari. Following the race, Hamilton acknowledged having "so many notes" for the team to improve on for 2026, as reported by Sky Sports. He expressed particular concern about setup issues that plagued Ferrari from lap one through the entire weekend.

In a broader reflection captured by Ferrari's official channels, Hamilton reframed his disastrous maiden season as "a season of growth and learning," stating he remained confident in his decision to join Scuderia Ferrari despite the obvious struggles. He emphasized focusing on creating the right chemistry with the team and acquiring information for a better starting package in 2026.

Hamilton has also attributed some of Ferrari's struggles to external pressure, telling motorsport journalists that constant media negativity has taken a psychological toll on team members and their families. He pointed out that the relentless criticism affects morale across the organization, though Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur countered that the squad must remain focused despite the challenging circumstances.

The broader narrative paints a grim picture: Hamilton failed to score a single podium finish all season, the team won zero races, and Ferrari has slid completely out of the constructors' championship battle after freezing 2025 car development in late April. Multiple racing analysts, including Martin Brundle, have suggested Hamilton's only realistic hope rests on Ferrari nailing the 2026 regulation changes.

As the season concludes this weekend in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton appears locked in a holding pattern between acceptance of this troubled chapter and cautious optimism for a potential revival under next year's new technical regulations.

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