‘Unhappy’ Lewis Hamilton spotted with ‘completely different’ F1 paddock mood since Ferrari move – journalist

It would be an overreaction to suggest that Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has been a failure this season.

Lewis Hamilton is still waiting for his first Ferrari podium outside of Sprint Races this year.

But Fred Vasseur’s team have had far more pressing concerns to deal with than the seven-time world champion’s sluggish start.

Vasseur has now signed a new contract, but for months, his future was on the line as it became clear his third season in charge was once again going to lead to no silverware.

Charles Leclerc has been left frustrated by another season where Ferrari haven’t gone in the right direction with their car development.

Hamilton’s disqualification in China has led to a season of being told to lift and coast, and Ferrari adding additional pressure to their tyres in the final stints of races to avoid excessive plank wear.

This has left Ferrari without a Grand Prix win in 2025, and while Hamilton is 44 points worse off than Leclerc, that’s not a particularly bad record considering how much adapting he’s needed to do behind the scenes after more than a decade at Mercedes.

However, journalist Peter Hardenacke has been examining the 40-year-old in the pit lane this season and noticed a worrying change in his demeanour behind the scenes.

Not only that, but he’s questioned whether Hamilton will even see out the rest of the season, or if he might suddenly turn his attention to 2026.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Lewis Hamilton ‘completely different’ in the Formula 1 paddock since Ferrari move

Hardenacke was speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast in the build-up to the Singapore Grand Prix.

When speaking about the seven-time world champion, he said: “I think there’s something in the air, don’t you?

“I still have Vasseur’s appeal in the back of my mind, where he said a little more balance, a little more middle ground, a little more teamwork, also in Lewis Hamilton’s direction.

“Now there are still these seven races and these three sprints. So, I still have the feeling that anything is possible, even an early end to this season for Lewis Hamilton, because everything is grinding to a halt at the moment.

“Yes, and I also think that when you watch Lewis walking through the paddock, his body language is completely different from what it was during his Mercedes years.

“I mean, well, he’s shielded by his bodyguard anyway, right? But now you can also see that he somehow refuses autograph requests from children and so on.

“But yes, not only that, I also think that most of the time, the way he looks down somehow makes him seem unhappy with the whole situation.”

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Guenther Steiner explains Lewis Hamilton’s ‘biggest problem’ at Ferrari this season

Hamilton has admitted that the speed at which he’s adapted to life at Ferrari hasn’t been as fast as he would have liked.

Ferrari’s different approach to engine braking, as well as different brake pad material, have given Hamilton less confidence in the car than when he was at Mercedes.

Although this feels like a minor point, with the grid frequently separated by less than a second in qualifying, it can make all the difference.

Hamilton will hope that the feedback he’s giving Ferrari behind the scenes means that they’re on the front foot going into 2026.

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has told Hamilton what his ‘biggest problem’ is at Ferrari, with fans and pundits divided over whether he can still achieve his coveted eighth world championship.

Ferrari will hope his mood improves soon, but a difficult-to-drive, uncompetitive car is likely to make any F1 driver feel frustrated.