After finishing third and fourth in the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton provided Ferrari with a much-needed boost. The team celebrated their best collective result in several races, briefly lifting the mood in Maranello.
However, beneath the surface, tensions are reportedly growing between Ferrari and their star signing. According to Sky Sports insider David Croft, progress on the track may not reflect harmony behind the scenes.
When Hamilton joined Ferrari, many viewed the move as a calculated partnership rather than a romantic reunion of driver and legendary team. Ferrari sought a proven champion to drive them forward, while Hamilton wanted a new challenge and the opportunity to rebuild Ferrari’s formerly unparalleled reputation. However, Croft suggests that this alliance may already be showing signs of strain.
“Ferrari will be delighted with Leclerc’s podium. There will be smiling faces in Maranello,” he said on Sky Sports’ F1 Show.
“But it’s not good enough. Not compared to what they did last year in Austin. Not compared to expectations for this year. And it’s certainly not good enough for Lewis Hamilton.”
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Hamilton’s frustration is growing
Croft believes Hamilton’s patience is beginning to wear thin.
“I think Lewis is losing his patience a bit,” he said. The seven-time world champion is reportedly pushing hard to influence Ferrari’s internal processes, offering input on everything from race strategy to car development. However, according to an insider, Hamilton’s efforts are facing opposition.
“Lewis desperately wants to help Ferrari regain its glory days,” Croft explained. “But at the moment, he feels like he’s not being listened to by management or those above them.”
The lack of progress and the perceived disregard for his feedback could evolve into a major storyline if not addressed soon, Croft warned.
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It has been a difficult season for Ferrari
Ferrari’s 2025 campaign has not lived up to expectations. While Leclerc has occasionally shown flashes of competitiveness, consistent podium finishes have remained elusive. For Hamilton, the struggles have been even more pronounced. The car’s limitations have left him battling in the midfield rather than competing for victories, a situation he has not faced since his early days in Formula 1.
Croft suggests that the disappointment has taken its toll.
“Ferrari’s leadership might believe they’re making progress, but Lewis operates on a different level,” he said. “He’s used to excellence, to seeing his input make a measurable difference. When that doesn’t happen, frustration naturally grows.”
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An unwanted record
While Hamilton continues to search for his first podium finish with Ferrari, time is running out in the 2025 season. If he finishes the year without achieving this, it will be the first time in his Formula 1 career that he has gone an entire season without standing on the podium.
This statistic alone highlights the extent of Ferrari’s current difficulties. Even more strikingly, after 19 races in a Ferrari, Hamilton now holds an unwanted Ferrari record; he has waited longer than any other Ferrari driver in history to achieve their first podium finish.
With only a few rounds remaining, Hamilton finds himself in familiar territory. Known for his success pre-2022 regulations, he now finds himself driving for a team that is still trying to rediscover its competitive edge, much like he did at Mercedes after the ground effect regs came into force.
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With the Formula One driver’s title now wide open with Lando Norris having slashed his team mates advantage by 20 points to just a lead of 14 and Max Verstapen roaring back into a record fifth consecutive championship bid over the past four race weekends – The 2025 Grand Prix of Mexico may prove to be a pictorial weekend.
Last year the race was back to back with the US Grand Prix where Max Verstappen’s move on Lando Norris to take the win created paddock uproar, but yet the stewards sanctioned it as fair. The pair were at it again at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, yet this time the race stewards handed the world champion two lots of ten second penalties which cost him the race win although it was Carlos Sainz who claimed victory for Ferrari.
The F1 weekend in Mexico City was abandoned in 1993 before finally returning in 2016 where it saw the world champion elect Nico Rosberg take the chequered flag. Lewis Hamilton stood on the top step of the podium the following year before a run of five wins at the Mexico City circuit for Max Verstappen was only interrupted by Hamilton in 2019.
Inclement weather forecast for Mexican GP
The weather for the coming weekend of racing is predicted to be inclement, although Friday’s practice sessions are at the highest risk of rain (40%). Qualifying and the Grand Prix may also suffer from wet conditions although the chance of this falls each day to 20%.
Following his masterclass in Brazil in 2024 when Max Verstappen came from a starting slot of P17 to win the race by more than 20 seconds in soaking wet conditions, the world champion is clearly the sport’s rain-meister and should the heavens open he is surely favourite to thrive in the conditions.
The circuit in Mexico City is at the highest altitude of any of the current F1 tracks on the calendar and at 2240 metres (7350 ft) the much thinner air has multiple effects on the Grand Prix cars. Firstly, the aerodynamics are less effective in producing downforce which in turn reduces the grip available to the drivers. The second effect is on the power units which gasp for oxygen in the less dense atmosphere meaning performance differentials between the various manufacturers internal combustion engines are magnified.
During their dominant era, Mercedes had by far the best powertrain with Rosberg beating the nearest…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
Stanton is a London-based journalist specialising in sports business and sponsorship. With a degree in economics and years reporting for business-focused publications, Stanton translates F1’s complex financial world into clear, compelling narratives.
