Inside Ferrari: Senior engineer reveals true state of Hamilton relationship

December 16, 2025 Oliver Obel

Lewis Hamilton’s first year with Ferrari sparked plenty of curiosity around the paddock. Patchy results, pointed remarks and persistent speculation led some to wonder whether the seven-time champion had settled into Maranello as smoothly as expected.

But one senior Ferrari figure says the public narrative has drifted far from reality.

A season shaped by early technical setbacks

Hamilton ended 2025 sixth in the standings, his only win coming in the Chinese sprint. According to reporting from PlanetF1, Ferrari spent much of the year contending with a set-up issue first identified in Australia.

The flaw forced both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to protect the car’s plank wear through lift-and-coast driving a compromise that left the team fighting uphill on outright performance.

The limitations showed in the numbers. Hamilton rarely had the upper hand in qualifying and finished behind Leclerc for most of the season. After a difficult run that included three consecutive Q1 exits, he told reporters in Qatar that Alpine’s Pierre Gasly had described the Ferrari as “terrible.”

Frustration spills into the open

Both Ferrari drivers were unusually candid as the year wore on. PlanetF1 noted that chairman John Elkann publicly urged Hamilton and Leclerc to focus on the job at hand following criticism of the car’s pace.

Hamilton later hinted in Abu Dhabi that he might rethink aspects of his support structure for 2026, even as he salvaged eighth place after starting 16th.

Inside Ferrari’s view

While outside commentary suggested rising tension, Ferrari’s head of track engineering, Matteo Togninalli, offered a different perspective in an interview with PlanetF1 during the Qatar weekend.

He said the adjustment process was always going to be demanding for a driver who spent a decade at Mercedes and was accustomed to a different operational rhythm.

Togninalli acknowledged the frustration of not being in the title fight but stressed that the internal dynamic remained stable. “From the outside it looks worse than it is,” he said, adding that Ferrari sees its relationship with Hamilton as “extremely positive.”

What comes next

Hamilton enters the second season of his two-year deal next year, with an option for 2027. The looming 2026 regulation overhaul which will reshape aerodynamics and engine architecture offers Ferrari hope that the competitive landscape could shift in its favor.

For now, the team insists that the foundation with Hamilton is solid, even if the results so far have not reflected the ambitions that prompted the partnership.

Sources: PlanetF1