Ferrari still haven’t proven Nigel Mansell’s fears wrong after five years amid Lewis Hamilton’s miserable start

Follow us on Google Discover

Nigel Mansell is one of only six British drivers in Formula 1 history to win a Grand Prix for Ferrari, but Lewis Hamilton looks miles from adding his name to the exclusive list.

The Scuderia welcomed the 40-year-old into Maranello this year as the 13th British driver to ever race for the pride of Italy. But Hamilton has struggled to gel with the SF-25 over his first five rounds at Ferrari as the Stevenage-born racer has not enjoyed their car’s weak rear end.

While Hamilton won the Shanghai Sprint from pole position during just his second round for Ferrari, he has not finished a Grand Prix higher than the P5 the seven-time champion sealed in Bahrain. His average finishing and qualifying positions so far are even just P7.25 and P7.4.

Hamilton’s average finishing position even only moves to P7 when including his P6 as Ferrari endured their first-ever double disqualification in China. Teammate Charles Leclerc even has average qualifying and finishing positions of P4.8 and P4.75 (or P4.8 with his P5 from China).

Nigel Mansell feared Ferrari will not win an F1 title ‘any time soon’ in 2020, and their wait continues

Ferrari’s lack of pace to McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull in the early rounds puts them 110, 33 and 11 points behind in the F1 constructors’ standings. Leclerc and Hamilton also only sit fifth and seventh in the drivers’ championship with 52 and 68-point deficits to Oscar Piastri.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

The term may only be five rounds in yet it would likely need a miracle for Ferrari to win their first constructors’ title since 2008 plus Hamilton or Leclerc to win the Scuderia’s first drivers’ title since 2007. It also means the fears Mansell raised for Ferrari back in 2020 still ring true.

Mansell said on the Gary Newbon Sports Show back in August 2020: “I love Ferrari. I had the most wonderful time there. It wasn’t straightforward, but I won for them. Winning races for Ferrari is the best [feeling] winning races for anybody in any team.

“I Just hope they can really get it together, but it probably won’t be any time soon.”

Kimi Raikkonen beat Lewis Hamilton to win Ferrari’s last F1 drivers’ title in 2007

Hamilton was on the losing end the last time Ferrari won the F1 drivers’ championship with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. The Briton was even on the losing end when Ferrari won their last constructors’ championship after they beat Hamilton’s McLaren team by 21 points in 2008.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

It now looks like the 2026 F1 regulations will be Ferrari’s best chance to end both droughts, plus Mansell’s fears, given especially Hamiton’s miserable start to 2025. Jeddah last Sunday was the first time Hamilton finished a Grand Prix over 30s behind his teammate since 2017.

So, Ferrari feel it is essential Hamilton changes his driving style to better suit their car as the SF-25 proved to be a podium contender in Saudi Arabia as Leclerc finished in P3. It marked Ferrari’s first Grand Prix podium in the 2025 F1 season but Hamilton was 30.969s back in P7.

Hamilton has also finished on average 28.820s behind the winner in the first five Grands Prix of 2025, including when disqualified from P6 in China for wear to his rear plank. Hamilton is performing well below Ferrari’s expectations with an average gap to the podium of 19.602s.