Lewis Hamilton has been warned it could take five years for him to finally feel comfortable in a Ferrari Formula 1 car. And, given he turns 41 in January of next year, such a time frame would make his personal ambition to become World champion again untenable.
The Brit joined Ferrari believing it would give him a better chance of securing that elusive eighth title than if he stuck with Mercedes. However, the Italian team has not won a single Grand Prix all year while former team-mate George Russell has tasted victory twice representing the Silver Arrows.
Hamilton did win a Sprint race back in March, but that was one of few highlights in a difficult first season in red. His struggle to adapt to Ferrari machinery has left him sixth in the championship, without a single Grand Prix podium to show for his efforts and 48 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc who has made it into the top three five times.
And double F1 champion Mika Hakkinen worries it could take years for Hamilton to find the comfort he needs to produce his very best for the team. “Lewis is just an incredible racing driver. He has succeeded in his career over the years, taking all the pressure that he has been experiencing. It’s just unbelievable,” the Finn said.
“When you come to a new team, normally it can take four to five years until you can make the car to fit your driving style. Thus, Lewis has to have the patience to wait for such a long time.
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“You normally don’t jump in the team and the car and say, ‘Oh, this car is fantastic. I’m going to win races’. It requires a lot of work and a long time.”
The 2026 season will see teams debut all-new cars which provide another challenge for drivers up and down the grid. Hakkinen believes it will require a further driving style change, though it remains to be seen whether it will be a help or a hindrance for Hamilton and his rivals.
Hakkinen added: “The cars are technically changing a lot for next year. The very experienced designers can develop a fantastic car. Drivers will probably have to change their skills a little bit. They will need to focus very hard to keep the car on track as the cars can become very difficult to drive next year.
“The teams which have good designers who are able to build a great car, they are going to do well. Teams who are not so experienced will have a lot of problems.”