A senior Mercedes figure has revealed that the team has continued to offer backing to Lewis Hamilton as he endures a difficult start to life at Ferrari. The seven-time world champion’s high-profile switch ahead of the 2025 season has yet to produce the revival many expected.
Hamilton’s first year in red proved challenging, with Charles Leclerc clearly getting the upper hand across the campaign. For the first time in his Formula 1 career, Hamilton failed to stand on the podium, underlining how tough the transition has been.
Despite no longer racing for Mercedes, the Brackley-based squad has maintained contact with its former star. Team representatives have described how they still “support” Hamilton in their own way, including regular conversations and flights involving team principal Toto Wolff.
Mercedes sporting director Bradley Lord insisted that Hamilton’s underlying quality has not disappeared. He stressed that, even in a difficult season, Hamilton remains a benchmark driver whose experience and standards are still among the best on the grid.
Statistically, the gap was stark, with Hamilton finishing the season 86 points behind Leclerc. While there were brief positives, such as victory in the China Sprint, they were outweighed by painful lows, including a run of four straight Q1 eliminations across Sprint and Grand Prix sessions to close out the year.
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