Insider Marc Gene reveals Hamilton’s real impact at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton’s much-anticipated move to Ferrari in 2025 was supposed to mark a triumphant new chapter for the seven-time world champion.

But the Briton’s early races with the Scuderia have yielded underwhelming results, both in qualifying and on race day, save for Hamilton’s Sprint race win in China.

The SF-25 hasn’t clicked for Hamilton, and his frustrations have been palpable. After the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he finished P7, he refused to blame the car, admitting to his own qualifying struggles by saying “every Saturday” has been a challenge.

The entire F1 paddock has taken note of the 40-year-old’s despondency, reminiscent of his final two years at Mercedes, where he often seemed disheartened.

Yet, despite the rocky start, Ferrari ambassador and former F1 driver Marc Gene has offered a glimmer of optimism, revealing the positive influence Hamilton is having on his team behind the scenes.

A Positive Influence Behind the Scenes

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Gene provided an insider’s perspective on Hamilton’s transition.

“It's very early days with Lewis,” the former Minardi and Williams driver explained. “He won the Sprint in China, which was amazing. I'm just getting to know him, but no one can doubt his talent.

“He's very experienced and you can really see he knows what he needs.

"That's why, from Melbourne to China, he made a huge improvement because coming from another team, it really is not easy.

“With the current Formula 1 that you cannot test, it's so hard to change teams and to get used to the dynamics, to get used to the steering wheel. That takes time.”

Yet, Hamilton’s impact goes beyond his on-track results. Gene observed.

"But already in the briefings, when he talks, you can really tell that he's really giving some very important information and then he's very exceptional in tyre management.

“I look at the telemetry and you see some things that he's very exceptional.

“I know people say he won so much because he had the best team. Now that I've seen him, there's a reason why he won so much.”

Navigating Pressure and Embracing the Ferrari Dream

As a Ferrari insider, Gene’s insights carry more weight than the swirling media rumors about Hamilton’s struggles.

With decades of involvement at Ferrari – first as a test driver and now as an ambassador – Gene has a front-row seat to the team’s dynamics.

Unlike speculative reports that focus on Hamilton’s downbeat interviews, the Spaniard’s perspective is grounded in direct observation, from debriefs to telemetry data.

His role gives him access to the inner workings of the Scuderia, making him a more reliable source to assess Hamilton’s true impact, beyond the headlines that often amplify negativity for clicks.

Gene also emphasized the unique environment Hamilton has stepped into.

“There's a lot of pressure at Ferrari,” he insisted. “There's no other team in the world that you have to cope with so much pressure, but as a driver, he's going to experience things that he never experienced before, probably his debut in Fiorano, to see so many people that they had to close the roads.

“This at the end of the day is nice.”

“Despite the pressure, Ferrari is committed to helping Hamilton settle in.

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“He has a very good team around him, but I don't think it's difficult for him. We are making sure that he adapts to the Ferrari world very fast,” Gene added.

“We are very proud at Ferrari that he chose not to retire from Formula 1 without living his dream of being part of the Ferrari family. I think that's part of Ferrari’s DNA.

“Everybody dreams one day of driving a Ferrari.”

As Ferrari continues its quest to return to championship glory, the team seems convinced they have the right man for the job — not just on Sundays, but every day behind the scenes as well.

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