Lewis Hamilton has been unable to replace key role Carlos Sainz played behind the scenes at Ferrari

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Lewis Hamilton’s miserable 2025 season with Ferrari is wearing on as the team continues to have problems behind the scenes.

The seven-time champion is still without a podium for the Maranello outfit with three races to go. He has amassed just 148 points in 2025, which is 66 fewer than teammate Charles Leclerc, who has scored seven podiums.

Hamilton has come close to stepping onto the podium, finishing P4 four times. However, consistency has been a major issue, with the Brit struggling to adapt to the SF-25 and finding the right balance.

Ferrari have had problems with ride height all season, with team principal Fred Vasseur pushing for a new rear suspension to solve the problem. But it did not bear any improvements, leaving Hamilton despondent over Ferrari’s situation.

The 40-year-old has been frustrated with the operation in Maranello, with Hamilton sending private documents to Ferrari detailing key changes. However, he is not performing one key role that his predecessor managed to do.

Lewis Hamilton has been unable to replace Carlos Sainz’s technical input at Ferrari

Ferrari are currently winless in 2025, with Hamilton only tasting glory in the Sprint race in China. The last win from the Maranello outfit was courtesy of Carlos Sainz in Mexico in 2024.

The Spaniard left the team for Williams in 2025 after he was told that Hamilton would replace him. Since his departure, Ferrari have suffered behind the scenes, particularly with technical development.

As per a report from Marca, Sainz has the ‘greatest dedication to the technical aspects, and his connection with the engineers is absolute’. From the moment he joined Ferrari in 2020, he played a key role in the car’s development, bringing them alongside McLaren by the end of 2024.

But Hamilton has a completely different approach. He and Leclerc are not ‘great tuners’, and the former does not adapt to the setup that his teammate wants.

Leclerc prefers ‘more rear-end movement and a different corner entry’, but Hamilton sees that as ‘counterproductive’, hence why he has said he wanted to bring his own DNA to Ferrari. The problems the team now have are ‘deep-rooted’, and Sainz’s exit is a key factor.

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Ferrari suffered a disaster at the Brazilian Grand Prix – can Lewis Hamilton recover?

Ferrari have failed to score points on three occasions this season, with the Brazilian Grand Prix being the latest. The Maranello outfit lacked pace all weekend before their drivers got caught up in incidents during the race.

Hamilton collided with Sainz at turn one on the opening lap and fell to the back before he hit Franco Colapinto and lost his front wing. It wedged under his car and damaged his floor, leaving him to retire on lap 40.

Hamilton was penalised for his collision with Colapinto, much to his frustration over his team radio. Leclerc fared no better in Sao Paulo, as he was taken out of the race after Oscar Piastri hit Kimi Antonelli at turn one, sending him into the Ferrari driver’s path.

Jolyon Palmer says Hamilton needs a ‘complete reset’ after a torrid weekend in Brazil. He will be looking to improve in Las Vegas, but Ferrari’s issues with the car and technical development need to be addressed.