Lewis Hamilton finds himself in second place on an unfortunate Ferrari F1 stat list

In his debut season with Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The seven-time world champion is currently tied for second on the all-time list for the most Formula 1 races before scoring a podium with Ferrari.

After 14 Grands Prix in the 2025 campaign, Hamilton remains without a Sunday podium, level with Gilles Villeneuve's 14-race wait in the late '70s. He is now trailing only Didier Pironi, who went 19 races before breaking through, as pointed out in an X post by The Race:

Lewis Hamilton's transition to the red has been anything but smooth. He joined Ferrari, hoping for a fresh chapter after two challenging years with Mercedes under the current ground-effect regulations. But while the ambition was clear, the results haven't followed.

While he has two podiums in the Sprint Race win in China and third place in Miami, his best Grand Prix finish remains P4 in Austria. Those short-format successes are cold comfort in a results-driven business, where full-length podiums matter most. 'Useless' was Hamilton's raw self-assessment after qualifying 12th in the latest Hungarian GP, later suggesting Ferrari might be better off replacing him.

However, veteran voices close to Hamilton have spoken up. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said:

"That is Lewis wearing his heart on his sleeve. It's what he thought when he was asked after the session... But he’s the GOAT and will always be the GOAT."

Lewis Hamilton of Scuderia Ferrari after the sprint race of the Belgian GP. Source: Getty

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur added (via Formula 1's official website):

"I don't need to motivate him, honestly. He's frustrated but not demotivated... But sometimes just after the race, or just after the Quali, you're very disappointed and the reaction, the first reaction is harsh, but we'll know that we're pushing in the same direction."

His teammate Charles Leclerc already has five podiums this season and also added Ferrari's second pole this week. In contrast, Hamilton trails him by 42 points in the standings.

It's worth noting that Leclerc secured his first podium for Ferrari in only his second race with the team, at Bahrain, in 2019. For now, Hamilton's wait matches Villeneuve's, and each weekend without a top-three finish only pushes him to the top of the unwanted list.

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The Hungarian GP adds to Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari frustration

Lewis Hamilton (44) during the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix 2025. Source: Getty

The Hungarian Grand Prix marked a new low in what has been a deeply inconsistent first season for Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari red. After failing to advance beyond Q2 in qualifying, Hamilton was resigned to P12 on the grid, suggesting little optimism about finding pace in the race. It was worse considering his previous low point in Belgium a week earlier, where a qualifying error saw him miss Q3.

Once the lights went out, Hamilton lost places early on while running on hard compounds. He got stuck in the midfield DRS trains, unable to make meaningful progress. After initial pit stops on lap 29, Max Verstappen squeezed Hamilton off track at Turn 4, further derailing his race. Hamilton pitted soon after for mediums, but there was no significant improvement.

He eventually finished P12 - his worst Grand Prix result of the season.

"Just stuck where I was. I'm glad it's over. I'm looking forward to going away," he told F1 TV post-race.

For someone who holds the record of most wins (8) at Hungaroring, it was a disappointing outcome. Meanwhile, Leclerc got pole position and finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium, despite facing technical issues.

While Ferrari is second in the Constructors' standings, they remain 299 points behind leaders McLaren. With Formula 1 heading into the summer break, the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort awaits on August 29. Whether that time off resets Lewis Hamilton's mindset or only deepens the sense of drift remains to be seen.

Edited by Luke Koshi