Lewis Hamilton's blockbuster move to Ferrari has culminated in a deeply disappointing debut season, with the seven-time champion himself admitting to compiling a list of errors that plagued his 2025 campaign.
A Season of Struggle for Hamilton and Ferrari
Ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton revealed he has been meticulously noting every mistake made by himself and the Scuderia Ferrari team throughout a difficult year. For a driver who turns 41 in January and is acutely aware of his narrowing window to secure a record eighth world title, the litany of errors has been a significant setback. His focus is now squarely on the crucial 2026 season and eradicating these costly issues over the winter.
From strategic blunders to personal driving errors, the season was a far cry from the pre-season hype that surrounded his sensational switch from Mercedes. Here, we examine ten key moments that defined a troubled year.
Strategic Missteps and Team Errors
The troubles began immediately at the Australian Grand Prix, where a misreading of radar data in mixed conditions led Ferrari to keep both cars on slick tyres a lap too long. Hamilton could only finish tenth, scoring a solitary point on his Ferrari debut.
A high point in China, where Hamilton clinched a Sprint race victory, was brutally overshadowed 24 hours later. Both Ferrari cars were disqualified from the Grand Prix, with Hamilton's car failing a technical check due to excessive plank wear.
In Azerbaijan, a chaotic qualifying session saw another team error. Hamilton explained he was overruled on tyre choice and then ran out of fuel, compromising his grid position. Later, at the Singapore Grand Prix, a miscalculation in brake wear simulations led to a brake failure, forcing Hamilton to cut corners and incur a post-race penalty.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix hit a new low due to a communication failure. Hamilton slowed, believing he had run out of qualifying time, but the team had not informed him he had crossed the timing line in time to start another flying lap. He qualified a career-worst 20th.
Hamilton's Personal Battles on Track
While team errors were frequent, Hamilton also endured a season of uncharacteristic personal mistakes. After a terrible race in Spain, which he described as "the worst race I've experienced balance-wise," his qualifying struggles became a major theme.
At the Belgian Grand Prix, he was eliminated in Q1 for both the Sprint and the main race, calling his own performance "very, very poor". His despair peaked after qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where a pole position for team-mate Charles Leclerc led Hamilton to state, "It's me every time – I'm useless," and suggest Ferrari "probably need to change driver."
A rare crash out of the Dutch Grand Prix, after touching a wet painted line, was compounded by a penalty carry-over to Monza. The season ended on a sour note in Abu Dhabi, where he crashed in final practice and suffered a fourth consecutive Q1 elimination in qualifying.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The comprehensive list of errors underscores the scale of the challenge facing Hamilton and Ferrari. With the 2025 season now concluded, the winter represents a critical period for analysis and improvement. For Hamilton, the mission is clear: transform this catalogue of mistakes into the foundation for a successful 2026 championship assault. The clock is ticking on his quest for that historic eighth title.
