Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari radio problem spotted, "they're on a different planet"

Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are struggling to gel with each other and there is no “chemistry” between them, according to 1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve.

As F1 returns from the summer break this weekend, the spotlight is on Hamilton and whether he can back from a difficult first half of the season with Ferrari.

While teammate Charles Leclerc has been quietly racking up podiums, even scoring a stunning pole position last time out in Hungary, Hamilton has yet to finish inside the top-three in a Sunday race in 2025.

While Ferrari has failed to produce a competitive car that can challenge for victories, Hamilton’s own results have also fallen short of expectations.

Villeneuve believes both Hamilton and Ferrari have reasons to be displeased with each other, and the partnership has simply not been working as planned.

“[Ferrari] are not getting what they signed. So there will be some frustration there from both camps - from the team and from Lewis,” he said on Sky TV.

“He’s not getting the car he wants, he doesn’t feel that the team is behind him. The team don’t feel that Lewis is with them.

“It’s not gelling. You can hear it when he communicates with his engineer on a race day. There is no chemistry.

“It’s as if they’re on a different planet, and they don’t communicate.”

Ferrari communication problem highlighted

Villeneuve added that Leclerc’s own frustrations with Ferrari point to deeper issues plaguing F1’s most successful marque.

“The same is happening with Leclerc and his engineer. There is something really odd happening with this team, and the way that they are progressing.

“When you hear Lewis’ interviews, he doesn’t seem excited. He doesn’t seem to believe what he says. It’s as if he doesn’t want to go to work. It is strange.

“Now, 2026 is coming. He knows it will be a new season. He knows this year is done. He is focusing on 2026.

“But for that, he needs to make sure it will be your car and your team.”

Leclerc has been getting increasingly vocal on team radio in 2025, with Hungary marking a new flash point as he vented his fury over what he described as an “undriveable” car.

Monegasque later withdrew his comments after learning about the exact chassis issue that led to his sudden drop in form, but it nevertheless highlighted his discontent with the team.

Sky TV analyst Naomi Schiff believes Hamilton’s entry as a seven-time world champion may have encouraged Leclerc to freely speak his mind.

“It is a multitude of factors. Lewis, and his fans, there was noise about the double-up of Lewis Hamilton and the iconic brand of Ferrari,” she said.

“There was so much pressure and build-up of what that would produce.

“It took him time to get up to speed. They are still figuring out a way to work together.

“Hearing Leclerc over the radio starting to speak up more, and get more frustrated? I think it’s because Lewis has come in and said ‘this is not the way I am used to working, I think some things need to change’.

“Maybe Charles is taking a page out of Lewis’ book to say ‘this may be the Ferrari way but it might not be the best way’.

“They are figuring out a way to work together and you can tell there is frustration.”

Hamilton showed his determination to tackle Ferrari’s woes at Spa, revealing he has been sending documents to the team between races to explain what changes he would like to see at Maranello.

When this remark was put to Villeneuve, he replied: “But if there is no chemistry, what’s the point?

“Chemistry goes from a tough season, that’s when you build it. When things are easy, you don’t need to build it.”