Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has expressed confidence that Lewis Hamilton still possesses his top-level `magic`, even after a challenging beginning to his tenure with Ferrari.
Hamilton has frequently been outpaced by his teammate Charles Leclerc across the first six races. However, he displayed improved performance at the recent Miami Grand Prix weekend, securing third place in the Sprint race and finishing closely behind Leclerc in the main race, albeit in eighth position.
Prior to Miami, the seven-time world champion admitted his 2025 season might be `painful` after struggling to match Leclerc`s pace in competitive sessions over three consecutive weekends.
Reflecting on Hamilton`s form, Wolff, who managed him for 12 seasons at Mercedes, stated, “I think we saw that magic in the Sprint Race in Shanghai. He was completely dominating that race. It`s not like you have the magic in one race and then suddenly you lose the magic in the next one. I very much believe that it`s still there.”
Wolff added, “If he aligns all his performance contributors and feels he is in the right space and the car is to his liking, he will be stellar. I have no doubt.”
Despite the struggles, Hamilton is currently only 12 points adrift of Leclerc as they head into the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend in Imola.
Wolff noted that Hamilton`s performance gap to Leclerc isn`t isolated to one specific area and believes his former driver will regain his peak form. “I`m also not surprised he has those road bumps. He was with us 12 years – the way of operating. He`s been put in a Ferrari, where his team-mate has been a long time,” explained Wolff. “And his team-mate clearly is one of the very good ones. So from the outside and speaking to him, it`s a trajectory any new driver needs to go through in a top team.”
Wolff and Hamilton Remain Close
Earlier in the year, Wolff mentioned that watching Hamilton`s performance at the Australian Grand Prix felt like monitoring a third driver alongside his current Mercedes pair. He confirmed they maintain their friendship away from the track.
“We`re still great friends with Lewis. I spent a lot of time with him, travelling, and I`m still seeing him,” Wolff said.
He elaborated on Hamilton`s move to Ferrari: “It came to a point last year where, you know, it`s like spending 12 years in a row on holiday with your best friend. At a certain stage you say, well, maybe do something else this time around. And for Lewis, he needed a refresher, a reinvention. Ferrari is iconic, no doubt about that. Certainly he also got terms that were interesting for him.”
Russell Comments on Hamilton`s Difficulties
Hamilton`s inconsistent results echo his final year at Mercedes, where George Russell finished ahead of him in the championship and held a significant qualifying advantage (19-5).
Russell suggested that people might be “underestimating how difficult Formula 1 is” and the challenge of adapting to a new team environment. “He`s a champion, he`s a winner, and he`s in a position where he can`t achieve that,” Russell commented.
“And it`s not easy to accept. If he was beaming with a big smile, you`d be questioning why he`s beaming with a big smile. I`ve got a lot of respect for him and I like him personally. It`s not nice to see somebody who`s not enjoying it.”
Russell concluded, “But why should he be enjoying it? Because for him it`s not about the money, it`s about the results. And it`s not clicking for him at the moment, but I`m sure it will click at one point.”
Gilbert Pendleton 
Wesley Dunham