Lewis Hamilton’s ‘awful’ McLaren comment in 2009 is now very interesting after his early struggles at Ferrari

Follow us on Google Discover

Lewis Hamilton has struggled to get to grips with his new machinery at Ferrari just five races into the 2025 F1 season.

Ferrari took a gamble over the winter with their car, completely redesigning it for the seven-time champion’s arrival, and it doesn’t appear to have paid off.

The team sit fourth in the constructors’ championship, two places worse off than in 2024 when they missed out on ending a 16-year title drought by just 14 points.

Now Hamilton has a lot of work on his hands to help turn the tide in the right direction, but it’s nothing that he hasn’t experienced before.

One of the problems is that Hamilton faces a ‘complex’ issue at Ferrari, having switched to a new power unit for the first time in his career. Having spent 17 years with Mercedes engines, it would have been a major change.

Formula 1’s new rules could benefit Hamilton and Ferrari, with a catch-up proposal provisionally agreed among teams to help those behind remain competitive.

READ MORE: Helmut Marko brands Lewis Hamilton ‘desperate’ with Ferrari driver’s mind not on 2025 F1 struggle

Lewis Hamilton’s ‘awful’ McLaren comments show he will stick with Ferrari beyond 2025

Having spent nearly 20 years at the top of his game, Hamilton has been through a lot and knows how to handle just about every scenario.

In 2009, he faced the first real struggle of his career with McLaren, as they plummeted from being championship contenders to the back.

He stuck with them through it, but his comments from the end of the campaign show just how difficult it was for him.

“It was a really tough start but I wouldn’t trade those bad experiences for the world. It was really character-building,” he told The Mirror.

“The worst memories are the races in Australia and Malaysia. They really stick out for me. Also calling my bosses and saying, ‘This car is really bad’. That was awful.”

Those days are a reminder that the grit and determination that Hamilton has to be successful is very strong. He won’t want to abandon his Ferrari project yet.

If anything, this will make him want to turn it into a record eighth title even more. He won’t abandon this time before the end of his deal in 2026.

READ MORE: Karun Chandhok admits Lewis Hamilton fans are ‘very upset’ with him over one comment he made after Saudi Arabia

Why Lewis Hamilton will be able to help Ferrari turn their Formula 1 operation around

Historically, Ferrari’s in-season development was always one of the things which let them down. It wasn’t good enough and cost them titles in 2017 and 2018.

But recently, they have turned the tide and improved massively. Hamilton’s experience should only add to their newfound strength.

He will know what sort of direction to send the car in, and it’s going to be equally vital for the team to trust him and develop it as he asks.

Helmut Marko says Hamilton is ‘desperate’, but he shows no signs of cracking in interviews just yet. He still appears calm.

It’s one of his best traits. He will back his team until the very end, and there is plenty of time for Ferrari to find speed yet. This is just the beginning.