Mercedes continues to support Lewis Hamilton amid challenging Ferrari transition

Lewis Hamilton's much-anticipated move to Ferrari for the 2025 season has yet to reignite his championship-winning form, resulting in his first podium-less year in Formula 1. The seven-time world champion, soundly outperformed by teammate Charles Leclerc, continues to lean on his former Mercedes team for support, including regular post-race discussions with Team Principal Toto Wolff.

Why it matters:

Hamilton's struggle to adapt at Ferrari, a team he joined with immense expectation, highlights the immense challenge of switching teams at this stage of a career, even for a driver of his caliber. His continued close relationship with Mercedes, the team he dominated with for nearly a decade, underscores the deep personal and professional bonds formed in F1 and shows how a driver's former support system can remain a crucial pillar during difficult transitions.

The details:

• Hamilton finished the 2025 season 86 points behind Charles Leclerc, failing to secure a single podium finish—a first in his illustrious career.
• His season was marked by inconsistency, featuring a Sprint race win in China but also a damaging run of four consecutive Q1 eliminations to end the year.
• Mercedes Chief Communications Officer Bradley Lord confirmed the team's ongoing support, stating they feel for Hamilton "on a human level" and try to encourage him, often through talks with Toto Wolff during shared flights home from races.
• Wolff himself revealed that Hamilton still frequently visits the Mercedes factory, speaks with engineers, and socializes with former teammates George Russell and Valtteri Bottas.
• Despite his current struggles, Mercedes leadership still views Hamilton as a potential benchmark in the sport, believing he retains the capability to perform at the highest level.

The big picture:

Hamilton's challenging season coincides with the final years of F1's current ground-effect regulations, an era he has openly stated he has not enjoyed. His comments in Abu Dhabi—"There is not a single thing I will miss about these cars"—signal a driver eagerly awaiting the 2026 regulatory reset. His move to Ferrari was a long-term play aimed at that new era, making his difficult first year a painful but perhaps necessary adjustment period.

What's next:

All eyes will be on whether Hamilton can leverage his experience and Ferrari's development to bounce back in 2026, when sweeping new chassis and power unit regulations arrive. His partnership with Leclerc will continue to be one of the most scrutinized on the grid, with the pressure mounting for Hamilton to demonstrate that his move was indeed the right one for the final chapter of his career.