Lewis Hamilton Reflects on Austrian GP Strategy Clash with Ferrari, Acknowledges Team’s ‘Right Call’

Lewis Hamilton has opened up about the mid-race strategic disagreement he had with his Ferrari race engineer, Riccardo Adami, during the recent Austrian Grand Prix. The seven-time World Champion, who is still seeking his first podium finish with Ferrari, experienced another challenging weekend as the team opted for a two-stop strategy that initially went against his preference to extend his tyre stint. While the tense exchange played out live on team radio, Hamilton ultimately complied with the team’s decision and, post-race, conceded that their call was likely justified.

Mid-Race Tensions and the Strategy Debate

As the Austrian Grand Prix progressed, Hamilton found himself carefully managing his tyres and believed he had enough life left in them to prolong his stint on track. Over the team radio, he questioned Ferrari’s instruction to pit: “My tyres are okay. Can I extend? How many more laps left?”

Riccardo Adami, his race engineer, responded with a firm directive: “And box, 20 laps.” Hamilton, initially unwilling to yield, shot back, “I don’t want to stop.” However, Ferrari reiterated their decision, “Box, box.” Despite his initial resistance, Hamilton eventually brought the car into the pits. He rejoined the race in fourth position, which is where he ultimately finished, trailing his teammate Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton’s Post-Race Verdict and Ongoing Struggles

After the race, Hamilton admitted that while he initially felt a one-stop strategy might have been feasible, Ferrari’s decision to bring him in for a second stop proved to be the correct one. “In the end, I saw that the decision taken was probably the right one,” he told DAZN F1. This concession highlights his growing trust, or at least acceptance, of the team’s overarching strategy, even when it differs from his immediate instincts.

However, this moment of agreement didn’t mask his broader struggles in adapting to life at Ferrari and with the SF-25 car. After eleven races into the 2025 season, Lewis Hamilton remains without a top-three finish. In contrast, his teammate Charles Leclerc has secured four podiums and currently holds a 28-point advantage over Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship standings. As of the Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton is in 6th place in the Drivers’ Standings with 91 points, while Leclerc is in 5th place with 119 points.

Persistent Issues with the SF-25

Despite the introduction of updates to the SF-25 ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton continues to express a significant disconnection from the car’s performance in race conditions. “I generally struggle to drive this car in the race,” he revealed. He specifically cited issues with understeer, oversteer, and overheating brakes, problems that have plagued him throughout the season. “On a track like this, you need stability and rotation, and I just couldn’t get it,” he explained.

Hamilton has previously described Ferrari’s braking issues as “a lottery,” indicating an unpredictable feel that hinders his ability to push the car to its limits. This seems to be a consistent challenge for him, having spent 12 years with Mercedes and their Carbon Industrie brakes before switching to Ferrari’s Brembo system. While the team has brought updates, and Leclerc has seemingly found a way to manage the car’s characteristics, Hamilton is clearly still searching for a setup that allows him to extract maximum performance. He noted that he has been experimenting with setups closer to Leclerc’s preferences, which involve a car with a lot of oversteer, but he struggles with tyre degradation when the rear slides, unlike his teammate.

Hopes for Redemption at Silverstone

The next race on the calendar is Lewis Hamilton’s home Grand Prix at Silverstone, a circuit where he boasts a record nine wins. With mounting pressure to deliver a strong result and the undeniable support of the British crowd, the British Grand Prix could serve as a pivotal turning point in what has been a turbulent start to his Ferrari chapter. A strong performance at Silverstone would not only boost his confidence but also potentially offer the first tangible sign that he is beginning to fully master the SF-25 and close the performance gap to his teammate, Charles Leclerc.