Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari: A Tense Relationship Unveiled

The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix concluded with Ferrari in a familiar position – firefighting mode, following apparent tensions between Lewis Hamilton and his engineer. Despite Hamilton’s fifth place and Leclerc’s second, neither driver seemed particularly celebratory.

A Race Marred by Miscommunication

The race weekend was challenging for Hamilton, who lost three grid positions due to a penalty for impeding Max Verstappen during Q1. This incident, caused by team misinformation, set off a chain of events that left Hamilton “stuck in no man’s land” on the racetrack.

The radio exchanges between Hamilton and race engineer Riccardo Adami became more pronounced, leading to concerns about potential friction. However, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur dismissed any such notions.

Post-Race Radio Silence

An unusual exchange occurred after the race, with Hamilton asking, “Are you upset with me or something?” to which he received no reply. Such exchanges, when played over TV broadcasts, can be misleading and amplify drama. However, this is understood to be an accurate representation of the conversation.

Another intriguing exchange took place late in the race, where Hamilton asked about the gap between him and the leading group. Adami’s response was deemed unsatisfactory, leading to further tension.

The Impact of Miscommunication

Hamilton crossed the line 51.387s after race winner Norris, and 48.256s after team-mate Leclerc. This gap will have frustrated Hamilton, who found himself in “no man’s land” due to the team’s mistake about Verstappen’s pace during Q1.

The grid penalty left him behind Isack Hadjar’s Racing Bulls car and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin for the first stint, until they pitted at the end of laps 14 and 16 respectively. Hamilton managed to overcut them both, but had leaked 12s to his teammate due to the front group’s tyre management.

Leclerc’s first stop on lap 23 was costlier in terms of lap time than Hamilton’s, but from there, the gap between the two generally grew. Some of these losses can be attributed to traffic, while others were due to Hamilton’s relative unfamiliarity with Ferrari‘s performance characteristics.

As Hamilton himself admitted after qualifying, “This weekend it’s been a bit of a steep learning curve.” While Vasseur sought to dismiss any idea of friction between the two, the radio exchanges suggest otherwise. It remains to be seen how this relationship will evolve in the upcoming races.