The coexistence at Scuderia Ferrari is beginning to break down after just three Grand Prix of the 2025 season. Lewis Hamilton has sent a direct message to his team after finishing seventh in Japan, where he pointed to some differences in average speed between his car and that of Charles Leclerc. Despite winning the Chinese Sprint, the Briton hinted that something was not up to scratch. The war has begun at Ferrari.
Hamilton explodes after Suzuka
At the end of the race at the Suzuka circuit, Hamilton did not remain silent: “During the first three races there has been a small deficit between both sides of the garage. Something is below the expected performance,” he declared in front of the media. The English driver did not identify the problem, although he did make it clear that the problem is subtracting more than a tenth of a second per lap.
These statements are not casual. Hamilton added that he hopes to “see some positive changes” at the next event, in a clear allusion to the Bahrain Grand Prix to be held this weekend. Thus, with 15 points in the World Championship – 3 behind Alex Albon and 5 ahead of Ocon and Stroll – his start to the season is not in line with what was expected of a seven-time world champion.
The gap with Leclerc, who has 20 points and is somewhat more at ease at the wheel of the SF-25, has set alarm bells ringing in Maranello. “With what I had, that was the best result possible,” Hamilton concluded, making it clear that he does not consider himself to be the problem, but rather his car.
Ferrari responds and Hamilton does not retract
The Scuderia Ferrari’s director, Frédéric Vasseur, wanted to calm the waters a little. For him, the disparity in performance in Japan is due to the set-up chosen by each driver: “The balance of the car depends on their decisions. It is not a technical difference between cars,” he said.
The truth is that in the paddock the conjectures have increased. People close to him say that the problem could be in the floor of the car itself or in a higher driving height in Hamilton’s car to avoid high levels of tire wear, as happened in Shanghai, for example. The driver himself has mentioned it: “We are going higher than we would like”.
The situation is very similar to that experienced by the Briton in 2024 with Mercedes and George Russell; in fact, he himself accused certain inequalities within his team. Very similar to what seems to be happening in the case of Ferrari.
Hamilton looks to Bahrain
Despite the critical tone, Hamilton has not lost hope. Ferrari has been working intensively on a new evolution for the SF-25 and it is hoped that in Bahrain they will introduce a key solution to their car. “When that new part arrives, I hope the problem disappears and that it will be the same for both cars,” he said.
Apart from that, the Sakhir circuit could work in their favor: the team already has a good load of data from the preseason tests, so Hamilton is already familiar with the track. The question is whether the Briton will be able to transform his frustration into results or whether the tension will continue to mount.
The harsh reality is that in Maranello there is already a strange atmosphere and when Hamilton starts pointing fingers, it suggests that this has only just begun in a season that is expected to be very tense for both drivers and for Ferrari’s interests.