Ferrari faces tough questions as Lewis Hamilton’s difficult 2025 season exposes concerns about his driving style

The conclusion of the 2025 Formula 1 season brings little comfort for Lewis Hamilton, who prepares to close out his debut campaign with Ferrari at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

What was expected to be a triumphant new chapter has instead unfolded into one of the most challenging years of his illustrious career.

For a seven-time Formula 1 world champion like Lewis Hamilton, no season should peak in its opening months — yet that is precisely what happened. His pole position and Sprint Race victory in Shanghai marked a brief moment of optimism for Ferrari fans, but the early success quickly proved to be an isolated spark rather than the foundation of a competitive year. As the season progressed, Ferrari’s performance stagnated, and Hamilton slipped steadily backward in the standings.

Now, as the championship heads to the floodlit finale in Yas Marina, Lewis Hamilton finds himself locked in an unexpected battle with Mercedes newcomer Andrea Kimi Antonelli for sixth place in the drivers’ standings — a far cry from what Ferrari had envisioned when signing one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history.

Ferrari legend Jean Alesi and Ralf Schumacher highlight deeper problems affecting Ferrari

Ferrari icon Jean Alesi recently criticised team principal Fred Vasseur for attributing the struggles of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to the team’s early shift in focus toward the 2026 regulations. Alesi argued that such an explanation only scratched the surface of a broader structural issue affecting Ferrari’s development direction and competitive consistency.

Meanwhile, former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has taken a closer analytical view of Hamilton’s season, identifying what he considers a far more concerning trend. Schumacher believes that Lewis Hamilton has shown little evidence of adjusting his driving style to suit Ferrari’s demanding machinery — a problem that could worsen when Formula 1 introduces its sweeping technical rule changes for 2026.

Ralf Schumacher warns Hamilton’s driving style may prevent future F1 title success

On the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast, Ralf Schumacher explained that Lewis Hamilton arrived at Maranello carrying the ambition of restoring Ferrari to championship contention. However, the German suggested that the lack of pre-season testing, combined with Ferrari’s early pivot toward 2026 development, made such goals extremely difficult from the start.

According to Ralf Schumacher’s analysis, what troubled him most was the absence of progress in the Briton’s adaptation. He indicated that Lewis Hamilton appeared to be chasing the same sensations he relied upon during his last title-winning season, insisting that the British driver still required a car that behaved in a very specific way. Schumacher argued that this was a clear sign that Lewis Hamilton had reached a point where adjusting his driving technique was becoming increasingly difficult.

With the 2026 Formula 1 regulations set to revolutionise aerodynamics, chassis philosophy and power unit behaviour, Ralf Schumacher warned that a driver who struggles to adapt may face even greater challenges. From his perspective, the 2025 campaign had demonstrated that Lewis Hamilton might be better suited to taking on a different, more advisory role within the team rather than continuing as a frontline driver.