Coulthard admits Hamilton’s struggles ‘uncomfortable to watch’

David Coulthard has admitted that Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation to life at Ferrari has been “uncomfortable to watch”, even as signs of progress began to surface at the British Grand Prix earlier this month.

The seven-time world champion joined the Scuderia at the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season following a 12-year tenure with Mercedes. His move was billed as one of the sport’s most seismic driver transfers in recent history, but the first half of the season has been anything but smooth.

Hamilton’s best Grand Prix finish so far came at Silverstone, where he crossed the line in fourth. He also claimed victory in the sprint race in China back in April, although that weekend was marred by disqualification from the Sunday race itself.

“Silverstone Felt More Comfortable”

Speaking to F1.com, Coulthard shared that Hamilton finally appeared to find some footing at his home race – but questioned whether the turnaround was track-specific or a broader sign of synergy developing with Ferrari.

“Silverstone felt more comfortable,” Coulthard said. “Up until Silverstone, and putting China to one side, it’s felt uncomfortable watching Lewis there. He hasn’t looked as quick as Charles [Leclerc].

“I don’t think any of the teams mind a fast Ferrari, because they are sort of the biggest name in the history of the sport.

“But at Silverstone, it looked like he was more on top of things. Was that just because it was Silverstone or not? That remains to be seen.”

Indeed, Ferrari has often shown competitive pace at Silverstone, and Hamilton has an unrivalled history at the circuit, having won a record eight times there.

Whether his form represents genuine progress or simply familiarity with the track remains uncertain as the season enters its second half.

Button: “It’s a Matter of Time”

Coulthard’s Sky F1 colleague Jenson Button – who partnered Hamilton at McLaren from 2010 to 2012 –also weighed in on his former teammate’s growing pains at Ferrari. He pointed to the cultural shift from a British to an Italian team as a major adjustment.

“You always expect Lewis to be at the front, you expect him to be on a par with his team-mate, if not better, but we’ve not seen that this year,” explained the 2009 F1 world champion.

“It’s always difficult changing team, but especially to a team that’s not a British team. It’s an Italian team, he’s never experienced that before, or since karting, and his team-mate speaks the language, he’s really embedded in the team.

“So, it’s tricky, but if anyone can be competitive in that car, moving in the way that he has, it’s Lewis. It’s a matter of time, but I’m sure it’s getting a little frustrating in terms of not being able to get the maximum out of the car.”

• Read also: Ferrari’s first win of 2025 is coming, says Palmer

Ahead of this week’s Belgian Grand Prix that will kick off the second half of the season, Hamilton sits sixth in the Drivers’ championship with 103 points – just 16 points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc.

While the gap is far from unbridgeable, the statistics reflect the challenges Hamilton has faced in adjusting to a car and team very different from what he knew at Mercedes.

With a string of technical updates planned and tracks ahead where Ferrari has historically performed well, the spotlight will remain fixed on whether Hamilton can turn familiarity into form – and finally deliver the kind of headline results the Tifosi have been waiting for.

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