Why Lewis Hamilton is struggling at Ferrari revealed by former Mercedes ally

James Vowles spent a decade working with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, in which time Hamilton won six World Championships.

But as Hamilton battles to get up to speed after making the blockbuster F1 2025 move to Ferrari, Vowles – Mercedes’ former strategy chief turned Williams team principal – was observed and determined that Hamilton is missing “specific elements he needs” to thrive in the Ferrari, but teased progress will come.

Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari: An F1 success waiting to happen?

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

While Hamilton has provided Ferrari’s only form of victory so far in F1 2025 by winning the China Sprint, overall it has been a disappointing opening 10 rounds of his Ferrari career, Hamilton sat a position and 25 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Hamilton has been calling for upgrades to improve the Ferrari SF-25 – three times a visitor to the F1 podium all courtesy of Leclerc – and a new floor has arrived for the Austrian Grand Prix, upgrades which will further evolve at the British Grand Prix on the following weekend.

Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, Vowles – who worked alongside Hamilton as Mercedes’ strategy chief from 2013-23 – was asked to weigh in on Hamilton’s challenging start to Ferrari life, offering an insight into what makes Hamilton tick, and comparing the adaptation process to the one Carlos Sainz has been through.

Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari meant Sainz was shown the door, the Spaniard subsequently agreeing a multi-year Williams deal.

“Lewis has some elements he needs from a car to feel strength from it, and then it’s a confidence build from him that he then is able to generate from then onwards,” Vowles told the media, including PlanetF1.com.

“And I can see it in what’s going on. He hasn’t quite got that yet.

F1 2025 head-to-head standings

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

“But I have zero doubt that he will be on the pace and there. And you can see at times where he is confident, he and Charles are like this [used fingers to signal a small gap].

“Miami is a good example, he was pushing Charles ahead of him.

“It’s just not consistently there, weekend on weekend, but when you’re in this, and you can see it with Carlos, you can see with anyone that’s adapting to these cars and changing, there’s so much to keep on top of and learn as a result of it. It’s all possible. It’s all adaption.”