Lewis Hamilton’s ‘strange’ comment worries Jacques Villeneuve that something ‘really odd’ is happening at Ferrari

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Jacques Villeneuve believes Ferrari are not “getting what they signed” from Lewis Hamilton so far in the 2025 season, with “frustration” now building in Maranello.

The 40-year-old joined the pride of Italy at the start of this term in the hope of it reviving his glittering career, which had started to falter at Mercedes in recent seasons. Hamilton signed a £39m a year Ferrari contract in February 2024 after enduring two straight winless terms.

Hamilton had never gone winless in any F1 season before the 2022 campaign, but he is now staring at a potential third winless year in his first term with Ferrari. The seven-time drivers’ champion has failed to finish on a Grand Prix podium in the first 14 rounds for the first time.

His woes also hit a new high before the summer break, as Hamilton suggested Ferrari “need to change driver” and that he is “useless” after qualifying P12 for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Briton finished 12th for his first failure to score a point in a race he finished this season.

Lewis Hamilton admitting he needs a ‘reset’ at Ferrari worries Jacques Villeneuve

Hamilton now wants to “drown out the noise”, and his comments ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix that he now needs a “reset” worry Villeneuve. The travelling circus of F1 has regrouped at Zandvoort this weekend after the summer break with 10 rounds of the 2025 season to go.

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It also worries Villeneuve that Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc do not always appear to be on the same page as their F1 race engineers. Hamilton has often argued with Riccardo Adami since he joined Ferrari, while Leclerc also clashed with Bryan Bozzi at times this term.

Villeneuve said on Sky Sports F1 (29/09, 11:14): “They’re not getting what they signed. So, there will be some frustration in there, from both camps, from the team [and] from Lewis, because he’s not getting the car he was wanting.

“He doesn’t feel the team is behind him. The team doesn’t feel Lewis is with them. It’s not gelling, and you can hear it when he’s communicating with his engineer on race day. There’s no chemistry, none at all.

“It’s as if they’re on different planets, and they don’t even communicate to each other. But the same is true with Leclerc and his engineer. There’s something really odd happening in that team that is not progressing in the right direction.

“And when you hear Lewis’ interviews, he doesn’t seem excited. He doesn’t seem to believe what he says. It’s like it’s as if he doesn’t want to go to work. It’s really, really strange.”

Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari will be alarmed if Jacques Villeneuve’s concerns prove true

Hamilton has struggled to adapt to Ferrari’s car and their methods since leaving Mercedes at the start of this season. The Scuderia are the first non-British team he has raced for after six years for McLaren and 12 for Brackley-based Mercedes, which put a huge hurdle in his path.

The 40-year-old has also noted several areas he feels the pride of Italy can improve, having compared their options with what he experienced with Mercedes. Hamilton has sent Ferrari several documents citing various issues in his attempt to help return the Scuderia to the top.

But it will, no doubt, worry Ferrari and Hamilton if the two sides do feel like the other is not chasing the same long-term targets, as Villeneuve suggests is the case. Ferrari and Hamilton will also want to improve their lack of chemistry ahead of the F1 regulation changes in 2026.