F1 rival explains true reason behind Lewis Hamilton struggles - 'I told you so'
Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari struggles have been explained by a rival.
Lewis Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari stem mostly from the challenges involved in swapping teams, according to F1 rival Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard, who was replaced by the seven-time world champion after four years with the Scuderia, is experiencing his own teething issues at Williams. Hamilton has crossed the line in the top 10 in each of his nine Grand Prix starts this season - albeit he was later disqualified in Shanghai - but none of those finishes have been on the podium, and he has crossed the line seventh or below on four occasions.
The Brit’s team-mate, meanwhile, has been in fine form. Charles Leclerc notched his second successive podium in Barcelona last time out, bumping Ferrari up to second place in the Constructors’ Championship standings. The moods on the two sides of the Prancing Horse’s garage are contrasting ones.
The F1 adaptation process is something that Sainz has experienced himself. While the four-time Grand Prix winner has established himself as one of the finest and most consistent talents on the grid since joining Ferrari, he did so after stints with Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren.
“I understand them, because I know how complicated it is,” he explained when asked about Hamilton’s frustrations. “Pride? No. You understand why it’s so hard because I’ve had to suffer through changing teams five times, and it’s something that was hardly talked about before, the adaptation process.
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“Before, everybody expected you to be there by the third race. I remember with [Daniel] Ricciardo, when he changed to Renault, and also to McLaren, there was an adaptation process.
“And me too, in every team I’ve changed. And before, it was like people didn’t buy it, or saw it as a bit of an excuse. Now that a seven-times champion is changing [teams] and it also costs him, it confirms a bit what I was telling you five or 10 years ago that maybe you didn’t buy it, but now you do buy it.”
Sainz is experiencing a similar situation to Hamilton with his new squad. Given his pedigree, most expected the Spaniard to quickly threaten Alex Albon’s status as the team leader at Williams, but the Thai-British racer has stepped up another level in 2025, while the new recruit has faced fresh challenges.
Heading into Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, Albon has a remarkable 42 points to his name, putting him just six behind Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. Sainz, for contrast, has 13 points, with all of his five points finishes coming in eighth or below.
