Since his arrival at Ferrari in 2025, Lewis Hamilton is facing a series of criticisms, mainly linked to his performance and his transition to Scuderia. These criticisms have gained momentum after a difficult start to the season, in which Hamilton had his ups and downs, notably at the Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese Grand Prix. After winning the Sprint race in Shanghai, Hamilton was forced to take disqualification from the main race. However, it was above all another aspect of his season that was the subject of his rant: the incessant criticism of his integration into Ferrari.
The first Grands Prix were far from idyllic for Hamilton, with a 10th-place finish in Australia. At the Chinese Grand Prix, if his Sprint victory was a sign of potential, the main race was marked by disappointment, fueling even more criticism, with some describing him as "less competitive" than team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton has chosen to respond directly to these criticisms. In an interview, he expressed his displeasure at the judgments he was receiving, and stressed the difficulty of adapting to a team and a car that operate differently. For him, the transition process takes time, and while drivers like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel have been able to shine quickly, building a solid long-term team requires a patience that some seem to ignore.
In a press conference, Hamilton said: "It's a strange time. People like to be negative at the slightest opportunity, even about the smallest things. [...] It's just the difficult times we're living in. I see some people I've admired for years talking out of turn. [...] And it's not easy to integrate a new team with completely different car characteristics." According to him, this impatience to judge is a lack of recognition for the hard work required for a successful integration.
In his words, Hamilton also spoke of the central role of the tifosi: "I know the tifosi, I know they want to see Ferrari win, but we mustn't rush. We have to take things one step at a time. For the world champion, the pressure is definitely there, but it's not insurmountable as long as he remains focused on the long term. He insisted that Scuderia Ferrari could not instantly regain the level of performance it had in 2004 or 2007. "Rome wasn't built in a day," he added.
This message also echoes that of Anthony Hamilton, Lewis's father, who, a few days ago, expressed his support for Scuderia and his son after the difficult Australian race. In an interview, he said, "We're fighters, just like Ferrari. It's not easy, but we're going to rebuild this team." He added: "We're doing it for Ferrari, but also for Italy and all the fans." His words sound like an appeal for patience and trust, reminding us that even the best teams go through difficult times before coming back stronger.