Ferrari Director Speaks Out On Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes Struggles - 'Don't Scare Me'

Saajan Jogia | Feb 24, 2025

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari TPC Test in Barcelona / Ferrari Press Image

Ferrari’s Chassis Technical Director, Loic Serra, is optimistic about Lewis Hamilton returning to top form. Serra explained that Hamilton's struggles with Mercedes' ground effect era cars, which didn’t suit his driving style, are not a concern for Ferrari. He shared his confidence that the seven-time world champion will continue to be fast with the team.

Hamilton's Ferrari arrival last month was a historic milestone not only for him and the Red team but also for Formula 1, which celebrated its 75th anniversary through the season launch last week at London's O2 Arena. He joined the Maranello outfit after a challenging stint at Mercedes in the current era, which began in 2022. It wasn’t until last year that the Brackley outfit designed a car that allowed both Hamilton and his former teammate George Russell to secure two Grand Prix wins each.

However, the season also saw the 40-year-old driver's qualifying pace drop, leading many to speculate if he still had the talent to win championships. Mercedes' head of trackside engineering, Andrew Shovlin explained after the 2024 season that the W15 F1 car's characteristics didn't suit Hamilton's driving style, which prevented him from extracting maximum performance from the car. F1 on SI reported:

"The car hasn't been easy to get into a nice balance window, and particularly once you get there, keeping it there has been a challenge.

"Beyond all of that, I think you know Lewis has struggled on a single lap. His race pace has been there throughout the weekend.

"The issue really for him has just been when you are trying to extract that last tenth or two. It's been difficult in terms of trying to avoid brake locking, trying to avoid snaps on exit. It's just those issues.

"But certainly keeping the heat out of the rear tyres on a single lap is the most important thing at about half to two thirds of the circuits.

"There are things that you can see that ultimately, when they really start pushing, then that's when you start to get the snaps of oversteer on exit.

"And that, on occasion, is an area that Lewis might suffer more from than George. But, as I said, the focus for our year has been, how do we get the car in a way that Lewis needs to allow him to drive it on the limit and not suffer those problems."

Comments from the Mercedes stable have led many to wonder whether the ground effect car suits Hamilton, and if he would face similar problems at Ferrari. Serra has dismissed the notion and confidently expressed that Ferrari fears no such challenges. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, as quoted by Planet F1, he said:

“Lewis’ difficulties seen on the track in the last period? They don’t scare me.

“He is an extraordinary driver who is always thirsty for new challenges and who, I am sure, will be as fast at Ferrari as in his best years at the helm of F1.”

Hamilton, meanwhile, revealed that he was quite comfortable in the SF-25 F1 car after his track session at Fiorano, and pointed out that Grand Prix weekends should offer a clearer picture of whether he will need to change his driving style. He said:

“I don’t feel that, currently, I’m having to change my driver’s style too much. I’m actually feeling quite comfortable in the car and just taking one step at a time.

“I hope, and we’ll see as we get further down the line at the real race circuits that we go into, just how much aligned and how much change I might need to do. But the key is to be open-minded and be dynamic.”