Has Lewis Hamilton made a mistake by jumping ship from Mercedes to Ferrari? With the kind of struggles the Briton is having at Ferrari this season, it certainly seems so. The 40-year-old explained that he is struggling simply because he has driven Mercedes-powered cars all his life, and he will need time to come to terms with a Ferrari-powered car.
After a disappointing Saudi Arabian GP, where he could only muster a P7 finish, Hamilton stated that he would need a “brain transplant” to understand Ferrari’s SF-25. He added that since he needs to change his driving style completely for that, he is unlikely to witness any kind of significant improvement in the rest of the 2025 season.
But at the age of 40, does Hamilton have that kind of time, especially if he still hopes to win a record-eighth championship? Former McLaren driver David Hobbs used Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s example to claim that perhaps Hamilton left Mercedes at the wrong time.
Soon after Hamilton made the blockbuster announcement last season that he would be leaving the Silver Arrows after a decade-long stint to join Ferrari, many speculated that he decided to leave the Brackley-based outfit because they failed to produce a championship-worthy car. While Mercedes are still far from having a title contender, they seem to have performed significantly better than Ferrari.
Hamilton’s former teammate George Russell has showcased the potential of Mercedes’ W16 by finishing in the top five of every race this season. Meanwhile, Russell’s teammate, Antonelli—despite being in his rookie season—has also performed better than Hamilton.
“He really has no speed. Zero.”https://t.co/K7tFjlAF6G pic.twitter.com/L8K6fJjfhI
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) April 22, 2025
The Italian is currently sixth in the Drivers’ standings with 38 points, seven points clear of Hamilton. Having expected Hamilton to be fighting for race wins at Ferrari, Hobbs is surprised to see him behind Antonelli in the standings. “He [Antonelli] is already 10 or 15 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the World Championship”, he said on the Drive to Wynn podcast.
So, Hobbs believes, “the car [Mercedes’ W16] has improved a lot. Lewis got out of that car just at the wrong time”.
That said, Hobbs did admit that Mercedes are still nowhere near as quick as McLaren, who seem to have been in a league of their own. With four wins after the first five Grands Prix, McLaren has established a healthy 77-point lead in the Constructors’ standings over second-placed Mercedes.
With Mercedes yet to win a race this season, Hamilton may not regret his decision too much. However, that could change next year when the new regulations come into effect. Since the next era of regulations are engine-focused, Mercedes are deemed the favorite to ace it.
If that were to happen, it would not bode well for Hamilton, whose main purpose of leaving Mercedes was to seek glory at Ferrari. And the question that arises is whether the Briton would be able to achieve success even if the Italian outfit are able to produce a race-winning car next season.
️ “Nothing positive from today. Except for Charles finishing on the podium, which is great for the team.”
Lewis Hamilton wasn’t happy following his Saudi Arabian GP: pic.twitter.com/iXTPf5ENNc
— The Race (@wearetherace) April 20, 2025
He has repeatedly stated this year that he obviously is not as comfortable driving the SF-25 as his teammate Charles Leclerc, who is currently in his seventh season with Ferrari. “Charles has obviously driven this car for a long time, and the driving style he has worked perfectly with the car,” said Hamilton after the Saudi Arabian GP. “He loves sliding the rears. He likes a really oversteery car, which is really impressive to see”.
So, if Ferrari were to fight at the sharp end of the grid next season, it is more likely that Leclerc would be the team’s lead contender to win races and fight for the title, until and unless Hamilton can produce some huge surprise.
