Lewis Hamilton, known for his stellar performances on the Formula 1 circuit, is facing a tough season with Ferrari as untelevised team radio from the Spanish Grand Prix reveals internal team dynamics. Charles Leclerc, Hamilton’s new teammate, is making bold moves to ensure his own success, leading to some tough calls on the track.
Hamilton’s 2025 season with Ferrari hasn’t gone as smoothly as anticipated. During the Spanish Grand Prix, despite managing to outqualify Charles Leclerc for only the second time this season, Hamilton found himself in a challenging position early on. His struggles were apparent, with pace issues in the first stint prompting the team to ask him to swap positions with Leclerc.
Leclerc’s strategic play saw him sacrifice his qualifying position by performing a single run in Q3 to save a set of tires for the race. This decision proved beneficial for Leclerc, as he managed to secure a podium finish. Meanwhile, Hamilton was initially classified in seventh place after being overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg but was later bumped up to sixth following a penalty to Max Verstappen.
Radio messages from the race highlighted Leclerc’s persuasive skills. By lap 7, Leclerc urged his engineer to prompt a positional change, citing time losses. His strategic acumen was evident as he reminded the team of his qualifying choice and requested freer air to maximize his speed. By lap 10, Hamilton was instructed to allow Leclerc to pass.
After the race, Hamilton’s frustration was evident as he lamented the car’s performance, describing it as the worst he’s experienced. Despite acknowledging the team’s strategic efforts, he couldn’t hide his disappointment with his own race day experience.
This struggle did not go unnoticed. Nico Rosberg, a former teammate and the 2016 World Champion, noted Hamilton’s unusually poor performance and identified it as a grim situation. According to Rosberg, Hamilton’s race was uncharacteristically slow, raising concerns given his usual prowess in race scenarios.
Hamilton’s transition to Ferrari has not been the dream start many expected. While Leclerc capitalizes on strategic decisions on the track, Hamilton is left dealing with a car that doesn’t seem to meet his expectations. As the season progresses, whether Hamilton can turn his fortunes around remains to be seen. The coming races will be pivotal in determining Hamilton’s adaptation to his new team dynamics.
