In a dramatic turn of events at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1 pundit and former McLaren and Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins has sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 paddock with her candid assessment of Lewis Hamilton’s performance in his debut season with Ferrari.
Her comments, aired during Sky F1’s post-race analysis, have sparked intense debate and left Ferrari reeling as they grapple with the seven-time world champion’s integration into the team.
Collins, known for her sharp strategic insights, expressed surprise and concern over Hamilton’s lackluster pace during the Monaco Grand Prix, where he finished fifth, 51 seconds behind race winner Lando Norris and 31 seconds adrift of fourth-placed Max Verstappen.
“I was a bit surprised that at the second pit stop, Lewis had lost enough time that Piastri could box and come out in front of him,” Collins remarked on Sky F1’s *The F1 Show* podcast. 
“The pace was off… Lewis just wasn’t able to push and stay with the top five, which is surprising given how much Lewis loves Monaco.” She added that Hamilton’s struggles were “more worrying for Ferrari” because he appeared more confident than teammate Charles Leclerc going into the weekend, yet failed to deliver on a track he historically excels at.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari in 2025 was heralded as a blockbuster signing, with expectations sky-high for the sport’s most successful driver to restore the Scuderia to championship glory. However, his early races have been marred by communication breakdowns with race engineer Riccardo Adami, exemplified by tense radio exchanges during Monaco. One notable moment saw Hamilton ask, “Are you upset with me or something?” after a period of radio silence, highlighting ongoing friction. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has downplayed these tensions, attributing them to Hamilton’s unfamiliarity with the SF-25’s performance characteristics, but Collins’ remarks have intensified scrutiny on the team’s dynamics.
Despite a strong drive from 12th to fourth at Imola the previous week, Hamilton’s Monaco performance raised red flags. Collins noted that his lack of pace in the race’s middle stint left him “in no man’s land,” unable to challenge the leading pack. This was particularly alarming given Ferrari’s strong pit stop execution, which leads the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award standings, suggesting the issue lay with Hamilton’s on-track performance rather than strategy.
Ferrari’s best combined points score of the season—Leclerc’s second-place finish alongside Hamilton’s fifth—offered some solace, but the gap to the front-runners has raised questions about the team’s competitiveness. Collins’ reputation as a straight-talking analyst and her new role as a trustee of the Grand Prix Trust lend weight to her critique, making her observations impossible to ignore.
As Ferrari heads to the next race, the pressure is on Vasseur to address these concerns. Hamilton’s adaptation to Ferrari’s car and team culture remains a work in progress, but with Collins’ stark warning echoing in the paddock, the Scuderia must act swiftly to ensure their star signing delivers. The F1 world watches eagerly to see if Hamilton can silence the doubters and reignite Ferrari’s championship hopes.
