Ferrari warned that Lewis Hamilton’s ‘negative’ results could have unseen consequences behind the scenes

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Ferrari is in danger of Lewis Hamilton’s poor results on track affecting other avenues of the team’s wider business.

The partnership between Hamilton and Ferrari has been a far cry from what F1 fans were expecting following his bombshell announcement that he would be swapping silver for red in 2025.

Hamilton is yet to stand on the podium as a driver for the Prancing Horse, with a Sprint race victory at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year serving as the seven-time world champion’s only highlight.

He has struggled with rear grip for the majority of the season. Hamilton organised dossiers for Ferrari engineers to look over, in which he detailed his thoughts on the current car and team set-up, as well as possible solutions for the issues he is facing.

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

Lewis Hamilton’s ‘negative’ results could impact Ferrari’s ‘commercial returns’

A recent report from Gazzetta dello Sport outlined the financial benefits Ferrari has enjoyed since Hamilton moved to Maranello, highlighting the wider company’s 9% increase in profits for the first half of 2025.

Giovanni Palazzi, president of sponsorship experts StageUp, told the Italian publication, “The increase in merchandising and the increase in sponsorship revenue can be explained by Hamilton’s appeal, as he’s not just a driver but a living sporting legend.

“His image transcends Formula 1 and speaks to a global audience, bridging sport, fashion, and pop culture.

“This global charisma, combined with the legend of the Prancing Horse, created an irresistible combination for fans and brands at the time of the announcement and then the start of this season, resulting in record sales and top-level partnerships.”

However, the expert went on to mention the problems that the team could be facing financially if Hamilton doesn’t start to showcase the reason he’s a seven-time F1 world champion in Ferrari colours.

Palazzi continued, “Naturally, there’s a weakness: if the negative results persist, the legend could also suffer, impacting enthusiasm and commercial returns.”

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

The commercial impact of Lewis Hamilton’s signing greatly benefited Ferrari

According to the report, the British driver has already generated around £60.4m worth of revenue for Ferrari since the announcement in early 2024.

The report states that this figure would have been greater if he were able to consistently fight amongst the front-runners for the top step of the podium.

Hamilton is reportedly earning £39m-a-year in his two-year deal at the team, so at the very least, he has paid for himself.

Sponsorship deals haven’t been affected by the poor performance this season, but the other exploits of the brand have suffered.

The most ‘optimistic’ forecast for the season saw Ferrari increasing their revenue by ‘at least’ £43.2m, but the report now states that they are now looking at a more realistic figure of £17.3m to £21.6m.

There’s no doubt that the higher-ups at Ferrari are aware of the decreasing numbers and will be looking to improve what they can in order to increase their yearly profits.

That being said, Ferrari extended Fred Vasseur’s contract before the summer break, so they clearly trust that he’s the man to get the job done.