Lewis Hamilton‘s rocky start at Ferrari has fans worried, but there’s still hope for the F1 legend to turn things around.
The seven-time world champion left Mercedes after 12 incredible years that brought him six drivers’ titles. But his dream move to the iconic Italian team hasn’t gone according to plan.
At 40, Hamilton sits a disappointing sixth in the drivers’ standings with just 148 points. He hasn’t won a race or even stood on the podium yet.
Even more concerning? He’s trailing teammate Charles Leclerc by 66 points.
Former deputy team principal Claire Williams thinks we shouldn’t be too surprised by Hamilton’s struggles.
“I think we can all probably underestimate how hard it is for a driver to change team,” she told talkSPORT.
This isn’t just any team change, either. Hamilton went from a Mercedes team he helped shape to the entirely different culture at Ferrari.
“Ferrari, it’s Italian, they’ve got the tifosi,” Williams explained. “They will have a very different way of doing things. And even someone of Lewis’ calibre and experience is still going to take some time to settle in.”
Hamilton’s season hit another low point with a DNF at the São Paulo Grand Prix, normally one of his favorite tracks.
But why make the switch in the first place? According to Williams, it was about fulfilling a lifelong dream.
“He wanted to go to Ferrari, inevitably, to fill the childhood dream that I think all Formula 1 drivers have, to wear the red overalls with the prancing horse.”
## Hamilton running out of time in 2024
With just three races left this season, Hamilton is facing something unthinkable: his first year without standing on a Grand Prix podium since entering F1.
That would be a career first for the British driver who’s used to breaking records in a good way.
Despite these struggles, Williams remains optimistic about Hamilton’s future with Ferrari.
“We’ve just got to, I suppose, give it a bit more time, see what happens going into 2026. But, sometimes these moves, they work out, sometimes they don’t. But I suppose if anyone can make it work, it’s probably going to be Lewis Hamilton.”
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