Lewis Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari are wearing on as he continues to search for a breakthrough. But he has now been warned that he may have caused friction within the team.
The seven-time champion is still without a podium in the famous red colours. Hamilton risks surpassing Kimi Raikkonen as the latest Ferrari driver not to score a podium across a season.
That would also be a first for the 40-year-old’s F1 career, highlighting just how much he has struggled in Maranello in 2025. His problems have been well-documented, with the SF-25 proving to be an inconsistent car, while Hamilton’s relationship with Riccardo Adami has been widely criticised.
It has been common for the Brit and the Prancing Horse to extract strong performance during practice, yet that has not repeated in qualifying and the race. Hamilton is becoming the Friday world champion, but he cannot deliver when it matters.
This was especially the case in Baku, as Hamilton ‘created illusions’ about Ferrari’s pace by topping FP2. Despite this strong pace, he was knocked out in Q2 on Saturday and could only climb to P8 in the race.
Lewis Hamilton ‘shattered’ harmony at Ferrari by disobeying team orders in Baku
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was another torrid weekend for Ferrari as they walked away with six points. Subsequently, Mercedes have leapfrogged them in second, with George Russell scoring a podium and Kimi Antonelli finishing fourth.
Hamilton struggled with the rear end throughout the race, a problem he has faced all season long. He was allowed to pass teammate Charles Leclerc to try and catch the cars in front, but the twisty nature of the Baku circuit and the dirty air hampered his chances.
| Position | Constructors’ Standings | Points |
| 1 |
McLaren Racing |
623 |
| 2 |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas |
290 |
| 3 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
286 |
| 4 |
Red Bull Racing |
272 |
| 5 |
Williams F1 Team |
101 |
| 6 |
Racing Bulls |
72 |
| 7 |
Aston Martin F1 Team |
62 |
| 8 |
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber |
55 |
| 9 |
Haas F1 Team |
44 |
| 10 |
Alpine F1 Team |
20 |
As he approached the finish line, he was instructed to hand the position back to Leclerc, but ended up finishing ahead of him in eighth. Hamilton claimed he misjudged his speed to the line, stating it would not happen again, while Leclerc seemed unfazed by the ordeal.
However, according to a report from Blick, the consequences of this may be more serious than previously thought. ‘Harmony has been shattered’ at Ferrari by Hamilton disobeying his team orders in Baku.
It may have been a simple mistake, but the 40-year-old has now been warned that ‘conflict’ could arise with Leclerc at the next round in Singapore. The team will be desperate for a strong weekend after losing P2 to Mercedes.
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Ferrari have had problems with team orders between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the past
Ferrari will want to avoid any sort of drama that may be present between their drivers after Baku. It is certainly not what they need right now as they try to end 2025 on a high note.
But problems with team orders are nothing new for the Maranello outfit, with Hamilton clashing with the team numerous times over the radio. The Miami GP was the most notorious example, as Ferrari delayed deciding whether to let the Brit pass Leclerc on the faster compound of tyres.
When they did let him through, he could not make up any meaningful ground before he was asked to hand the position back. Hamilton blasted Ferrari over the radio, telling them to ‘have a tea break’ over their decision-making.
Michael Schumacher never criticised Ferrari like Hamilton has done this season, as he tries to find solutions to his problems and fix the team’s operational issues. But they have frequently been left with more questions than answers