In Miami, Hamilton’s frustration peaked as Ferrari’s slow strategy calls left him stuck and helpless, triggering sharp analysis from Brundle.
Lewis Hamilton didn’t hold back. His radio messages during the Miami Grand Prix were laced with sarcasm and frustration, and they didn’t go unnoticed.
For former F1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle, they highlighted something deeper: a recurring problem on the Ferrari pit wall.
The issue? It took Ferrari several laps to make a call on team orders, a delay that cost Hamilton precious tire life as he tried in vain to pass young teammate Kimi Antonelli.
By the time the orders came through, it was too late. His medium tires had already peaked.
“On paper, it looked obvious,” Brundle said. “Lewis caught Leclerc and the cars ahead like a rocket. But oddly, as soon as one Ferrari got within DRS range of the other, it looked faster.”
The irony, Brundle added, is that once Hamilton finally got by, he couldn’t pull away. “In fact, Charles started reeling him back in.”
For Brundle, it all points to a hesitation that’s become typical at Ferrari, slow, uncertain decisions that frustrate even the most experienced drivers.
“Ferrari always seem a little too unsure on the radio,” he said. “They’ve been like that for years.”
Hamilton’s sarcastic tone was telling. And while Brundle admitted it’s uncomfortable to hear some of those raw radio moments on TV, he believes they’re essential to understanding what drivers are really going through.
“It’s revealing. That sarcasm and frustration from Lewis says a lot. He was clearly upset. Twenty-three laps stuck behind Ocon in a Haas with a customer Ferrari engine and a team of 300 people back at the factory? That’s not what he signed up for.”
“This isn’t the kind of racing Lewis expected in 2025. No wonder his mood wasn’t great.”
Despite the internal tension and Hamilton finishing P8 behind his teammate, Brundle said the seven-time world champion wasn’t wrong to voice his feelings.
“He exposed a disappointing weekend in Miami with that sharp comment about letting Sainz through as well. It wasn’t pleasant to hear, but it wasn’t inaccurate either.”
Ferrari tried to keep things calm after the race, but as Brundle put it, “some of what Lewis said just can’t be denied.”
Former world champion and fellow pundit Jenson Button noticed the shift in Hamilton’s attitude too. He believes Lewis is in a different mental space now than he was even a few months ago.
“He’s not the same guy he was at the start of the season, or back when we were teammates,” Button said.
“Back then, if he had a bad day, he bounced back fast, fired up and quick. Now, he’s a lot more composed, more balanced.”
But according to Button, that new calm isn’t necessarily helping.
“For some drivers, that mindset might be an advantage. But for Lewis? I think it’s starting to hurt. He’s not used to being consistently slower than Charles. That’s not who he is. Lewis is a born winner.”
Ocon Backs Hamilton to Adapt
Esteban Ocon says he fully understands the challenge Lewis Hamilton is facing as he adapts to the Ferrari SF-25 this season. The French driver, now racing for Haas with a Maranello power unit, has a unique perspective after past experience as a Mercedes test driver and a full-time seat at Alpine.
“It’s really tough, especially when you switch to a completely different car philosophy,” Ocon explained. “The Haas and the Ferrari share a lot in terms of feel, so I can see where Lewis is coming from.”
Ocon, who’s also driven Mercedes machinery, highlighted just how different the driving experience can be between the two teams.
“The way you drive the car and how you extract performance from it is completely different. The feeling behind the wheel isn’t the same at all, so it takes time to adjust. But I’m confident Lewis will figure it out soon.”
He pointed to Carlos Sainz as another example of a driver who had to reset his instincts after a team switch.
“When you move up from junior categories and step into a car like this, you almost have to forget everything you’ve learned and start fresh. You learn the car from zero.”
“Lewis has way more experience than I do. He’s driven all kinds of cars over the years, but also stayed with one philosophy for a long time. I get why this is hard for him, it’s hard for me too, and for Carlos, but we’ll all get there.”
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