Ferrari now have to keep one ‘difficult’ problem on their 2025 car that Lewis Hamilton ‘doesn’t like at all’

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Lewis Hamilton is at a critical phase of his Ferrari career as the team looks to improve his fortunes in 2025.

The seven-time champion is yet to score a podium for the Maranello outfit, excluding Sprint races. He is still trying to adapt to his new surroundings, with Hamilton appearing ‘bleak’ during media days since his move to Ferrari from Mercedes.

The famous red team are second in the constructors’ championship, but that is slightly misleading given the performance of the SF-25. The car has a worryingly small operating window, with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc struggling to find the right balance.

Jolyon Palmer says Hamilton’s race pace has been ‘disappointing’ this season. Leclerc leads the Ferrari teammate battle 9-2 in Grands Prix in 2025, with the Brit only beating him at Imola and Silverstone.

Hamilton has been trying to change Ferrari’s philosophy and implement his own way of working with his experience. The 40-year-old is desperate to see upgrades brought to the SF-25, but one issue he hates could be set to stay on the car.

Ferrari have to keep their 2025 power steering system that Lewis Hamilton hates as it is ‘difficult to adjust’

Hamilton has been struggling with a power steering issue in 2025, especially through the high-speed corners. The feedback has not been optimal for either Ferrari driver, with it only coming if they ‘push to the maximum’, which puts strain on the mechanical elements.

The 40-year-old will be eager to see this improve, but F1 expert Mattia Bobbi says Ferrari have to keep the current system for now as it is ‘difficult to adjust’. Hamilton does not like this problem ‘at all’, having struggled with it since pre-season testing.

He said via RacingNews365: “If they’re driving two, three, or even four seconds slower per lap during the race, they can adapt to the power steering. Their brain isn’t completely focused on the limit, and they have room to adjust their steering behaviour to the force of the power steering.

“But that’s a different problem, and it’s going to be very difficult to solve. Once you’ve designed the power steering, it’s difficult to adjust it.

“They have to keep this system for the time being, and that’s something Hamilton doesn’t like at all.

“Already during the first tests in Bahrain, he made it clear after a few laps that he wasn’t happy with it. He literally said: ‘What the hell is with that power steering?’ And ever since then, it’s been a major problem for Ferrari.”

The power steering system is a fundamental change that Hamilton needs to see at the Maranello outfit, especially given how important it is to his driving style. The Brit’s trait of braking late into corners has given him an incredible edge over his rivals in the past, but he is struggling to adopt it at Ferrari.

Hamilton lacks confidence in the SF-25 as the power steering does not allow him to properly push the car. He has found difficulty with it all season, and will be desperate to see Ferrari implement a change in the second half of the season.

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

Lewis Hamilton is set to get an upgrade he desperately needs at Spa, but will it work?

Luckily for Hamilton, Ferrari plan to fix the power steering issue by the Hungarian GP next weekend. Before then, a much more significant upgrade is planned for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Ferrari will debut a rear suspension upgrade at Spa, which has been talked up throughout the season. Simulations claim that they will gain a tenth with the update, which would bring them closer to challenging McLaren.

However, during private testing, Leclerc did not feel the benefits of the upgrade. Ferrari have ‘cautious optimism’ about the new rear suspension, but the Monegasque driver does not express the same feeling.

Others have expressed concerns, with Gary Anderson saying he is ‘not seeing what he expected from the new update. Furthermore, Ferrari are ‘likely’ to suffer an energy management issue in Q3, which the rear suspension will not fix.