Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Struggles: Former F1 Manager Criticizes Performance and Radio Disputes

Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated Ferrari debut at the Australian Grand Prix has been met with sharp criticism, particularly from former Williams manager Peter Windsor. The seven-time world champion endured a challenging race weekend, finishing in 10th place despite momentarily leading the race.

The 40-year-old driver, who qualified eighth, ended up behind his new Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who finished eighth, and significantly trailed his former Mercedes teammate George Russell, who secured a podium finish alongside Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Hamilton’s performance fell short of expectations following his much-discussed move from Mercedes to Ferrari in the offseason.

Windsor did not hold back in his assessment of Hamilton’s struggles, particularly highlighting his declining pace and unwavering stance during radio communications with Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami. According to Windsor, Hamilton’s reluctance to heed strategic advice may have contributed to his inability to gain positions in the latter stages of the race.

During the race, Hamilton was repeatedly heard on the team radio insisting, "leave it to me," in response to instructions from the Ferrari pitwall on how to navigate past Alex Albon using DRS and other technical adjustments. Windsor, speaking on his YouTube channel, noted that Ferrari’s radio exchanges were unusual, with both Hamilton and Leclerc showing visible frustration in their communication with engineers.

The underwhelming performance raises concerns about Hamilton’s adjustment to his new team and Ferrari’s ability to optimize race strategy. While it was only the first race of the season, the Scuderia will need to refine its approach to maximize Hamilton’s experience and potential as the season progresses.