Between expectations and anxieties, Lewis Hamilton’s challenge at Ferrari is turning out to be more complex than he had imagined
At the end of the 19th century, Arthur Conan Doyle — having returned from serving as a ship’s doctor on a whaling vessel — opened a medical practice near Portsmouth, though with little success. Due to the lack of patients, he began writing detective stories to pass the time, and in 1887, A Study in Scarlet was born — the first tale to feature the character of Sherlock Holmes.
In that story, Holmes observes that there is “a scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life,” and that his task is to unravel it, isolate it, and expose it. In our case, the thread does not lead to a crime, but to a mystery — and the red in question is the unmistakable red of Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton’s season so far has been just that: an enigma, a tangled plot woven with unfulfilled expectations, internal tensions, and intense rivalries.
A faltering start
It was a tough, terrible day — I don’t know what to say. It was probably all my fault.
The Spanish Grand Prix has just ended. Hamilton finished sixth, only thanks to the penalty given to Max Verstappen following his contact with Russell. Being overtaken by Hülkenberg’s Sauber was the final humiliation — the nail in the coffin of yet another weekend to forget for the seven-time world champion. In the post-race interviews, he appeared grim-faced, dejected, almost resigned to the idea that, this season, he won’t see the light.
The media campaigns launched over the winter — amplified by his arrival in Maranello — have backfired. The SF-25 is a car well below expectations: lacking the strength to fight with the frontrunners and unable to shift gears after a lackluster start. For his part, Hamilton is struggling to tame a machine that seems to slip through his fingers. A period of adjustment is both necessary and understandable, especially after so many years behind the wheel of a Mercedes. But the resignation he showed in Barcelona suggests that something deeper may be at play.
Doubts, frustrations, and a matter of chemistry
From the very first race of the season, Hamilton hasn’t hidden his struggles in finding the right feeling with the car. And despite efforts to turn things around, the situation hasn’t improved — in fact, it has only worsened. The sprint race win in Shanghai now feels like a distant memory: since then, there’s been no sign of recovery. His best race result so far remains a fourth place in Imola — a small consolation amid a string of disappointing performances.
The internal battle with Charles Leclerc is, for now, unforgiving. The Monegasque — perhaps at the peak of his sporting career — has shown he can cope better with Ferrari’s significant shortcomings, mastering the balance until he found a stability that allowed him to claim his third podium of the season right in Catalunya.
Adding to all this is the issue of technical chemistry. Rumors of a difficult relationship with race engineer Riccardo Adami were denied by Hamilton himself, who dismissed them as nonsense. But the ongoing gossip doesn’t help the atmosphere, especially when the goal is to regain even a minimum of consistency and peace of mind.
Who really is Lewis Hamilton?
What remains to be seen is if and how the situation will evolve. It’s not yet time to talk about failure, but the signs are far from encouraging. The words and attitude of number 44 suggest that the problems are not only technical but also psychological and relational. The tensions that have built up over the weeks are beginning to weigh on his performance on the track as well.
Perhaps the question we should be asking is a different one. Who is Lewis Hamilton really today? A champion in search of his final crowning glory? A man in need of new motivation? Or simply a great driver who made a gamble that was too ambitious?
It remains a mystery, one that perhaps only the track can reveal. One thing is certain: Ferrari is a place that can either crown or consume you. And Hamilton, now more than ever, is learning this in the most tortuous way.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP
