A WARNING FROM FERRARI'S PAST FOR LEWIS HAMILTON

In Formula 1, history has a habit of repeating itself. For Lewis, who joined Ferrari in 2025 with the dream of winning in red, the ghosts of the past are never far away. Recently, Sebastian Vettel’s 2020 radio exchange with his race engineer resurfaced, reminding fans of the struggles that have haunted the Scuderia for over a decade.

Vettel’s Ferrari career was bittersweet. Between 2015 and 2020, the four-time world champion won 14 races for the Italian team—more than any Ferrari driver in the modern era except Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda. But despite having moments of brilliance and cars fast enough to challenge for titles in 2017 and 2018, Vettel never managed to beat the near-unstoppable combination of Lewis and Mercedes.

By 2019, Charles Leclerc had emerged as Ferrari’s new star, often outpacing Vettel. This shift in performance effectively ended Vettel’s time with the team, leading to his departure in 2020. While Vettel’s record at Ferrari is impressive on paper, it’s also a cautionary tale: talent alone can’t overcome deep-rooted team issues.

Lewis Refuses To Follow The Same Path

When Lewis spoke to the press recently, he made one thing clear—he refuses to suffer the same fate as Vettel or Fernando Alonso, both of whom joined Ferrari with championship ambitions but left without a single title in red. Yet, the challenge in front of him is enormous.

In his first 14 races with Ferrari, Lewis hasn’t scored a single podium. Even Leclerc, who knows the SF-25 inside and out, hasn’t managed to win a race this season. The performance gap to Red Bull and McLaren is glaring, and reliability problems have only made things worse.

The frustration is real. Ferrari fans have been here before, watching a world champion arrive full of hope, only to see the team stumble over the same old problems—slow development, poor strategy calls, and internal politics that seem to drag on year after year.

The Spanish GP Radio Exchange That Still Stings

The resurfaced moment from Vettel’s final Ferrari year came at the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari were already in a slump, having fallen to the midfield after a major technical setback. In qualifying, Leclerc started ninth and Vettel 11th. A mechanical failure forced Leclerc to retire mid-race, leaving Vettel as the only Ferrari on track.

What followed was a telling radio exchange between Vettel and his race engineer, Riccardo Adami—now the man on the other end of Lewis’s radio.

Adami: “What do you think about going to end with these tyres?”

Vettel: “Ha ha! I asked you this before! Now I’ve been pushing for three laps.”
Adami: “Understand. We are just checking.”
Vettel: “It depends. Okay, here’s the task for you. What do I have to do to stay ahead?”
Adami: “Need 23.4, 23.5 until the end.”
Vettel: “I can do that. Well, let’s try, we’ve got nothing to lose.”

The exchange showed a lack of proactive communication—something fans have long criticized Ferrari for. Instead of guiding Vettel with a clear plan, the team seemed reactive, uncertain, and late to act. This moment struck a chord when it resurfaced on Reddit recently, quickly gaining thousands of upvotes. The top comments all echoed the same sentiment: Ferrari’s operational issues haven’t gone away.

Fan Frustrations And Harsh Truths

The online reaction was blunt. “Nothing seems to have really changed,” wrote one fan. Another put it more sharply: “Ferrari has a problem of extremely incompetent people protected by money or politics.”

Others described Ferrari as a “dumpster fire” of internal politics, where decision-making is slowed by power struggles and bureaucracy. The fear among Lewis’s supporters is that he could get trapped in the same cycle—burning his final F1 years fighting battles he can’t win.

One sarcastic comment summed it up with a jab at Ferrari’s indecisiveness: “Some say they are still checking.”

Ferrari’s 2025 Season: Not A Total Disaster, But…

On paper, Ferrari’s 2025 season doesn’t look disastrous. The team sits second in the Constructors’ Championship, and Leclerc even grabbed pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix. But numbers don’t tell the whole story.

In Budapest, Leclerc looked in control of the race before a chassis issue ruined his pace, dropping him from the lead to fourth, a staggering 40 seconds behind the winner.

Lewis’s race was equally frustrating. Starting 12th, he tried a one-stop strategy that didn’t pay off. While his overtakes on fresh medium tyres were vintage Lewis, the gamble left him stranded just outside the points. For a seven-time world champion, this was far from the fairy-tale return to competitiveness that fans hoped for.

Lessons From Schumacher’s Struggles

Some have drawn comparisons between Lewis’s current challenge and Michael Schumacher’s post-comeback years at Mercedes (2010–2012). Despite his legendary status, Schumacher couldn’t fight for wins in a car that wasn’t up to the task. His return was remembered more for effort than glory.

But there’s a key difference. Lewis isn’t just at Ferrari for the paycheck or nostalgia—he’s here because he believes he can win. His career has been defined by relentless determination and the ability to lift a team around him. The phrase “Still We Rise” isn’t just a slogan—it’s the mindset that’s kept him at the top for over 17 seasons.

Why Lewis Still Has A Fighting Chance

Yes, Ferrari have their flaws. Yes, the competition is fierce. But Lewis’s career has always been about beating the odds. From his rookie season in 2007, where he nearly won the title, to his record-breaking era with Mercedes, he’s shown that he thrives under pressure.

Lewis also knows how to demand the best from those around him. His feedback is direct, his standards are sky-high, and his presence alone raises expectations. If anyone can cut through Ferrari’s internal noise and push the team to fix its weaknesses, it’s Lewis.

The partnership with Riccardo Adami could also be crucial. While Adami’s 2020 radio with Vettel became a meme, he’s now working with a driver whose communication style is sharper, more decisive, and more collaborative. That could make a real difference in strategy execution.

The Road Ahead

For Lewis and Ferrari, the rest of the 2025 season will be about building momentum. Wins may not come this year, but consistent podiums and strategic improvements could set the foundation for a title challenge in 2026.

Ferrari’s long drought—now approaching 18 years without a Drivers’ Championship—hangs over every decision. The pressure from fans, media, and the Italian press is relentless. But sometimes, that pressure can be the spark that forces change.

For Lewis, the mission is clear: learn from Ferrari’s past mistakes, demand better, and keep fighting. As Vettel’s story shows, raw speed is nothing without clear direction and unity. Lewis knows it, the fans know it, and deep down, Ferrari knows it too.

And as every Lewis fan will tell you, through all the trials, politics, and heartbreak—STILL WE RISE.

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