Binotto questions Hamilton’s Ferrari fit: ‘They took him too late’

Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has shared his perspective on Lewis Hamilton’s difficult start to life at Maranello, suggesting the seven-time world champion’s age may be hampering his ability to adapt to the Scuderia’s SF25.

Hamilton, who left Mercedes to join Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season, has so far failed to consistently match the performances of teammate Charles Leclerc.

Despite Ferrari sitting second in the constructors' standings, just behind McLaren, Hamilton’s adjustment has been far from smooth.

While he clinched a solid win in the Chinese sprint race, his race-day performances have been inconsistent.

Meanwhile, Leclerc sits one position ahead in the standings, 23 points clear of the Briton, and has been particularly dominant in qualifying.

"It's clear that the performance on the track and the results are not good at the moment," Binotto told Automoto.it. "However, I know every single member of that team very well and I know that they are good, strong and capable.

"They will be able to improve the car and do well in the future. And I believe that Ferrari can get some satisfaction this year."

Binotto pointed to Hamilton’s age as a factor in his adaptation difficulties.

“Hamilton is of a certain age,” he said. “Ferrari took him when he was already at the end of his career. The ideal would have been to have him a few years earlier.”

Sainz: “The important thing is to get there"

Williams charger Carlos Sainz, the man Hamilton replaced at Ferrari, offered a more empathetic view on the difficulties of switching teams. Drawing from his own experience joining Ferrari in 2021, Sainz acknowledged that adaptation takes time – even for a driver of Hamilton’s caliber.

“You can have five or six complicated months of adaptation, but what matters is to get there, I think, because if you get there, in the end, with the level and talent you have, then you end up showing what you are worth,” Sainz told Mundo Deportivo.

• Read also: Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles ‘hard to watch’ admits Rosberg

Sainz pointed to his own breakthrough at the 2022 British Grand Prix, where he secured his first F1 win and added multiple pole positions by the end of that season.

“I arrived in the middle of 2022 with pole positions at Silverstone, Spa and Austin. And I won a race, and in 2023, so in the end I got to the level I wanted,” he said. “The important thing is to get there.

“The risk is that you never end up adapting to that team or car, and so far I’m lucky to say that I’ve always ended up adapting to every team.”

As Ferrari works to close the gap to McLaren, both Binotto and Sainz agree: Hamilton’s ultimate success at the Scuderia will hinge not only on car performance but on whether he can truly make the red machine his own.

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