It hasn’t been a sweet start for both Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari in the 2025 F1 season. Hamilton finished 10th at Albert Park, two places behind teammate Charles Leclerc, and in the Chinese Grand Prix, he faced disqualification. All eyes are now on the Japanese Grand Prix. Meanwhile, questions are being raised about whether Hamilton and Ferrari are facing ‘trust issues’ between them.

Lewis Hamilton’s much-anticipated move to Ferrari has not unfolded as smoothly as fans and pundits had hoped. After spending years as the dominant force at Mercedes, the seven-time world champion has faced a tough transition, with Ferrari struggling to provide him with a consistent and competitive car. The early races of the season have been marred by strategy mishaps, operational blunders, and a controversial disqualification, leading to serious concerns about the team’s ability to meet Hamilton’s high expectations.

The opening race in Australia saw Hamilton finish a disappointing 10th, far from the dream debut he might have envisioned. However, his performance in China provided a glimpse of hope when he converted his first Ferrari pole into a commanding sprint race victory.

Unfortunately, the optimism was short-lived, as he finished sixth in the main event and was later disqualified due to excessive plank wear. The team also suffered a double setback when Charles Leclerc’s car was found to be underweight, causing Ferrari to lose crucial championship points.

These issues have left Ferrari languishing in fifth place in the constructors’ standings, marking their worst start to a season since 2009. The setbacks have fueled speculation about whether Hamilton can truly trust Ferrari’s ability to deliver a title-contending car.

Former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins has drawn attention to the potential trust issues that may arise between Hamilton and his new team. She pointed out that a series of errors—ranging from a poor strategy call in Melbourne to the disqualifications in Shanghai—could make Hamilton second-guess the team’s decisions.

“It’s a bump because Ferrari had the wrong strategy in Australia, in China they have been disqualified so should have done better, and they arguably had the wrong strategy because Lewis should not have pitted for a second time,” Collins explained to Sky Sports.

She further noted that Hamilton’s struggles in Shanghai were worsened by car setup changes that did not work in his favor. His subsequent disqualification only compounded the problem. Collins emphasized that while individual setbacks can be overcome, repeated missteps start eroding a driver’s trust in their team.

“So it is a bump. If they go through it and they find whatever’s wrong, then Lewis can get over that pretty quickly. But it’s one of these little things that adds to the lack of trust.”

Drawing from her experience working with Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin, Collins highlighted the importance of establishing trust early on. She recalled how crucial it was for Vettel to believe in the team’s decisions, as a lack of faith in strategic calls can significantly impact a driver’s confidence on track.

One of the key figures responsible for ensuring Hamilton’s car is legal and race-ready is his race engineer, Riccardo Adami. According to Collins, it is fundamentally the race engineer’s job to oversee the legality of the car and ensure compliance with FIA regulations.

“Fundamentally, it’s the race engineer’s job [to ensure] that the car is legal. Each race engineer for each car, it lies with them that the car is legal,” she stated.

This means Ferrari must not only refine their race strategy but also tighten their operational discipline to avoid costly mistakes. Whether it’s ensuring the correct weight balance or avoiding excessive plank wear, small details make a huge difference in such a competitive environment.

Despite the early-season hurdles, optimism still surrounds Hamilton’s potential with Ferrari. Former rival Sebastian Vettel has expressed confidence that Hamilton’s relentless drive and experience will eventually translate into success with the Scuderia.

“Lewis is a competitor and he has very high expectations about himself so I think he’s probably very ambitious to be in that seat right now and not so focused on the noise around, but more to make it work,” Vettel told the BBC.

While Ferrari’s rocky start has raised concerns, the season is still young. For Hamilton to challenge for another championship, Ferrari must quickly regain his trust by demonstrating reliability in both strategy and execution. If not, this high-profile partnership could turn into yet another chapter of missed opportunities for the Italian team.