"Elephant in the room” confronted as Lewis Hamilton battles to adapt at Ferrari

Anthony Davidson said Lewis Hamilton’s ongoing struggles in Formula 1 this year are no “surprise” given Ferrari’s pressure-cooker environment, but believes the elephant in the room is his advancing age.

Hamilton’s blockbuster move to Ferrari in F1 2025 has faced constant scrutiny, with the Briton having failed to finish higher than fourth in a Sunday race this year.

Charles Leclerc earned pole position at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix then finished fourth, in stark contrast to Hamilton who labelled himself 'useless' after qualifying.

Davidson said racing for F1’s most high-profile squad was always going to lead to the kind of high-pressure situation in which several of Hamilton’s predecessors faltered.

However, according to him, Hamilton’s status as one of F1’s greatest drivers of all time has only raised the expectations further on him and Ferrari to perform this season.

“I don’t think he would be surprised. I am not surprised he found it difficult and very different,” Davidson said on Sky TV after Friday practice in Hungary.

“We all know what Ferrari is like, from the outside. We have friends and ex-colleagues on the inside, and they confirm the beliefs of the paddock that it’s a pressure-cooker.

“It is the Italian national team. The request for standards is incredibly high.

“Now a seven-time world champion arrives so naturally the expectation is on Lewis’ shoulders. The fans, the Tifosi, expect results.

“He knew what he was walking into. But it’s never easy. As a driver you know the challenges of changing teams.”

Why Lewis Hamilton is struggling at Ferrari

Hamilton enjoyed immense success after joining Mercedes in 2013 and holds one of the most coveted records in F1, including most race wins, pole positions and podiums. He is also tied with Michael Schumacher on the list of drivers with the most championships in F1.

However, since his narrow title defeat to Max Verstappen in the controversial 2021 finale in Abu Dhabi, both he and Mercedes have failed to challenge consistently under F1’s current ground-effect regulations introduced in 2022.

Davidson believes Hamilton is still in the process of adapting and needs to “reinvent” himself to extract the most from today’s machinery.

“For me, Lewis has never been the same driver since he saw the 2022 regulations," explained the 2014 World Endurance champion.

“He’s had to work harder than ever before to rework his style, which he has done many times before in F1. The cars have changed a lot since the V8s he first drove and he’s had to reinvent himself along the way.

“This is just another hurdle that he has to overcome.”

Hamilton turned 40 in January and will be nearing 42 by the time his current Ferrari contract expires at the end of 2026.

While questions around his age have surfaced before, they’ve often been dismissed as unfair or premature.

But Davidson who retired from racing at 42 said his own racing career is proof that age can have a detrimental effect on a driver’s performance.

“I don’t mind saying it because it’s the elephant in the room and I’ve been there myself as a driver: age is a factor,” he said.

"As an athlete ages, whatever anyone says, even himself or those involved with Lewis, they won’t understand where I’m coming from.

"But I’ve lived it and breathed it as an athlete. You start asking yourself questions. It’s only natural."