Ex-Ferrari Engineer Pins Hamilton's 2025 Woes on Team, Not Driver
A former Ferrari engineer claims the team, not Lewis Hamilton, is largely responsible for his tough 2025 season, arguing they failed to understand his driving style and provide a competitive car.
Former Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola has shifted the blame for Lewis Hamilton's difficult 2025 season away from the driver and onto the team itself. Mazzola argues that over a full season, Ferrari should have been able to understand Hamilton's needs and provide a car he could consistently drive. He acknowledges off-track challenges but emphasizes that the fundamental issue was the car's unsuitability for the seven-time champion.
Why it matters:
This perspective challenges the narrative that Hamilton struggled to adapt to Ferrari, instead pointing to a deeper organizational issue. For a team aiming to win championships, the inability to build a car around its star driver is a critical failure. It suggests Ferrari's problems may be more systemic than just a difficult transition year, raising questions about their ability to challenge for titles in the near future.
The details:
- Shared Responsibility: Mazzola stated, "I’d say a large part of the responsibility lies with the team as well," rejecting the idea that Hamilton single-handedly "messed everything up."
- The Car is the Problem: He emphasized the core issue was Ferrari's failure to deliver a car that suited Hamilton's driving style over 24 races, despite the driver being "like a machine" when on track, isolated from external factors like culture or language.
- Defending the Engineer: Mazzola notably did not blame race engineer Riccardo Adami, suggesting the engineer had limited freedom to make significant car changes to address Hamilton's feedback.
- A Season of Struggle: Hamilton's campaign was marked by inconsistency, with only fleeting moments of success like a Sprint pole and win in China and a strong P4 at Silverstone.
What's next:
The focus now shifts to Ferrari's 2026 project and whether they can rectify these issues. Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes Hamilton can still deliver at the highest level if provided with the right machinery. The onus is now on Ferrari to prove they can build a car that not only is fast but also adaptable to the needs of their star driver, a crucial step if they are to return to championship contention.