‘Something really odd’ happening at Ferrari amid ‘strange’ Lewis Hamilton observation

Lewis Hamilton gives the impression that he “doesn’t want to work” in his interviews, claims 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve.

However, Villeneuve believes the problems at Ferrari are also extending to Charles Leclerc’s side of the garage. The race engineers seem to be on a “different planet” to their respective driver, claims Villeneuve, who senses “something really odd” going on at Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari ‘not gelling’ claim from Villeneuve

The alliance of Hamilton and Ferrari, on paper, was a dream combination. It brought together Formula 1’s most successful team and driver. But, it is a partnership which so far has not delivered.

Hamilton is yet to score a podium result with Ferrari. Leclerc has pulled off that achievement five times – and claimed an impressive pole in Hungary – but is yet to taste victory in F1 2025.

The summer break provided crucial respite for Hamilton after his alarmingly downbeat comments in Hungary, though the seven-time World Champion did not exactly cut a refreshed figure as he arrived for the Dutch Grand Prix.

On Sky F1 punditry duties at Zandvoort, Villeneuve stated that Ferrari are “not getting what they signed” with Hamilton, which means “there will be some frustration in there from both camps, from the team, from Lewis.”

However, Villeneuve believes both Hamilton and Leclerc are suffering in an “odd” Ferrari situation.

Ferrari had planned on challenging for the F1 2025 titles, but find themselves 299 points behind runaway leaders McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship. McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are realistically the sole remaining contenders for the Drivers’ crown.

“He’s not getting the car he was wanting,” Villeneuve said of Hamilton. “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, not at all. It’s as if they’re on a different planet, 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’s interviews, he doesn’t seem excited. He doesn’t seem to believe what he says. It’s as if he doesn’t want to go to work. It’s really, really strange.

“Now, 2026 is coming. He knows that will be a new season. This year is done. He’s focusing on 2026. But for that, you need to make sure that it will be your car, it will be your team.”

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To Villeneuve’s closing point, it was suggested that Ferrari as a whole is now all-eyes on F1 2026. A reference was made to Hamilton’s “documents” to that point.

“But if there’s no chemistry, what’s the point?” Villeneuve retorted. “The chemistry happens even in a tough season. That’s when you really build it.

“It’s when the going is tough and things are easy you don’t need to build chemistry. It’s easy.”

Hamilton signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari which is widely reported to run until the end of F1 2026.

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