Lewis Hamilton is losing one of his F1 superpowers with even Lance Stroll outshining him in vital area

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Lewis Hamilton made it back-to-back Sprint podiums at the Miami GP last weekend. He still hasn’t finished in the top three for Ferrari in a Grand Prix, but the shorter format has offered some solace in an otherwise difficult start.

Hamilton produced a strategic masterclass, nailing his switch from intermediate tyres to dries. Ferrari weren’t initially planning to bring him into the pits, and they suggested mediums rather than softs.

The 40-year-old had started seventh but was able to finish third behind the two McLarens after jumping up the order. He was visibly pleased after the race – a rare sight in 2025.

Before his pit stop, Hamilton was struggling. He was losing touch with the two Mercedes cars ahead of him and surprisingly had to fend off the Williams of Alex Albon.

For the seven-time world champion, the late transition to slicks disguised a worrying trend.

Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton is no longer the master of wet conditions

Hamilton used to be widely considered the best wet-weather driver on the Formula 1 grid. At the height of Mercedes’ dominance in 2016, Toto Wolff called him ‘unstoppable’ in wet conditions (via ESPN).

Some of his greatest-ever F1 moments have come in the rain. Most notably, there was his extraordinary victory at the 2008 British GP, where he finished a minute ahead of the field and lapped all but two cars, and his charge from sixth to first at the Turkish GP to seal his seventh title.

But the Englishman has struggled in the rain of late. At last year’s Sao Paulo wash-out, he was knocked out in Q1 and could only recover to 10th in the race.

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And when the heavens opened on his Ferrari debut in Australia, he sat behind Albon and then-Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda in the opening stint before slipping to 10th on the last lap.

Though he scored a podium last Saturday in Miami, this was more a reflection of his experience – knowing when to change compound – than his comfort on the inters. In truth, Hamilton was unrecognisable before bolting on the softs for the last few laps.

Yes, Hamilton hasn’t been driving contending cars at these events. But the rain has long been considered the great leveller in F1, and the Alpine drivers proved as much in Sao Paulo last year when they bagged a remarkable double podium.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll deserves more credit for his wet-weather driving

It’s worth pointing out that Hamilton won last year’s British GP in mixed conditions and took second on the grid in a sodden Sprint qualifying in China. But his lack of confidence in the car, be it the Mercedes W15 or Ferrari SF-25, is stopping him from showing his talents on a consistent basis.

One driver who arguably deserves more respect for their wet-weather exploits is Lance Stroll. The Canadian, who notched his first-ever front-row start and first pole in the rain, has come alive on the green-striped Pirellis this year.

He steered his way from 13th to sixth in the Melbourne chaos as Fernando Alonso crashed out, and grabbed an excellent P5 in the Miami Sprint. Those two results account for nine of Aston Martin’s 14 points this year.

Very few drivers have been better than Stroll in the rain this year.