As the dust settles on the F1 2025 season, motorsport consultant Helmut Marko voices his apprehensions about Lewis Hamilton’s future performance, particularly if Ferrari manages to put forth a competitive car. Marko highlights that Hamilton’s weaker qualifying performance could be a stumbling block to his comeback if he consistently falls “two or three tenths” behind Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton, a seven-time World Champion, is gearing up for his first season with Ferrari after leaving Mercedes, under a multi-year contract starting F1 2025. This British racing titan, who was unseated by Max Verstappen in a contentious 2021 title showdown in Abu Dhabi, joins Ferrari following a challenging final three years at Mercedes.
Despite Hamilton’s reputation as the most decorated driver in F1 history with over 100 pole positions and Grand Prix victories, his performance has been somewhat muted since the beginning of the 2022 season. This is partly due to Mercedes’ difficulty adapting to the ground-effect regulations, limiting Hamilton to a single pole and two victories.
In the 2024 season, Hamilton was outpaced in qualifying conditions by George Russell, leading him to confess that he is “not fast anymore” after trailing his teammate in 19 of the 24 races. Despite this, Marko, whose Red Bull team had a riveting face-off with Hamilton’s Mercedes squad during the 2021 season, dismisses the notion of Hamilton’s decline.
Marko insists that Hamilton’s qualifying pace will be crucial to his success at Ferrari, citing that one-lap performance has been a consistent area of weakness for him in recent years. In an interview with Austrian outlet OE24, Marko responded to the suggestion of Hamilton being past his prime, saying, “I would be careful with that.”
Marko acknowledges Hamilton’s potential to pick up where he left off in 2021, provided he is motivated and Ferrari delivers a competitive car. However, he cautions that Hamilton’s qualifying needs improvement, pointing out that if he lags two or three tenths behind Leclerc, he will consistently have to claw his way up the grid, which could wear down the tyres.
On the question of Hamilton posing a threat to Verstappen, Marko states that the pre-season test in Bahrain will be the deciding factor. Despite acknowledging that Hamilton’s transition to Ferrari will take some adjustment, he finds it intriguing.
Interestingly, Marko had previously argued that none of the drivers from Ferrari or Constructors’ Champions McLaren posed a significant threat to Verstappen. He even suggested that Verstappen could outpace Hamilton even if the Red Bull RB21 turns out to be a “mediocre” car in F1 2025.
In a recent shake-down of the new Ferrari SF-25 car at Fiorano, Hamilton was reported to be a significant 0.8 seconds slower than Leclerc. However, it’s essential to note that the drivers were on different run plans, rendering each driver’s fastest times non-representative.
As Hamilton gears up for his seventh full season with Ferrari, his main focus will be to grow his confidence and familiarise himself with the Ferrari’s systems and functions. This follows a tyre test in Barcelona, where Hamilton outpaced Leclerc by 0.130 seconds on the first day but was 1.788 seconds slower on the second day.
As the F1 2025 season approaches, Hamilton’s performance remains under the microscope, with questions about his consistency and qualifying performance stirring up intrigue and suspense among F1 fans worldwide.
