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Lewis Hamilton's former teammate Valtteri Bottas has claimed that the 7x world champion's struggles at Ferrari in 2025 could be tied to the level of Charles Leclerc's talent. The Finn also claimed that moving from Mercedes to the Italian outfit would have been a huge cultural change for Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton has struggled to find his feet at Ferrari since arriving at the team in 2025. His first season with the outfit has not gone to plan, with the driver winless and without a podium finish after 21 rounds.
Many experts and fans have come up with theories as to why the veteran has failed to settle in quickly at Ferrari. Most recently, his former Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas has had his say on the matter.
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Speaking to Motorsport.com before the Brazilian GP, Bottas reiterated what has been assumed by many people, suggesting that the move from the Silver Arrows to Maranello would have been a huge cultural shift for the 40-year-old. But the Finn also shared a rather unique alternate theory involving Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc.
Addressing the talk surrounding Hamilton, Bottas said:
"I think so [there's a lot of talk]. People need to talk, it's natural. But maybe some people have also underestimated Charles, how good he is. So yes, I think it will be fine."
Hamilton's form has been underwhelming in 2025, but it is his comparison with teammate Charles Leclerc that makes it look worse. While his best finish in a Grand Prix this season has been fourth, Leclerc has managed to stand on the podium on seven occasions. This is also reflected in the drivers' standings, with Leclerc (P5) 66 points ahead of Hamilton (P6) at the time of writing.
Valtteri Bottas backs Lewis Hamilton to return to form in 2026
Speaking to the aforementioned outlet, Valtteri Bottas also claimed that Lewis Hamilton will return to his usual self in 2026. The 36-year-old also claimed that people have been exaggerating how his performances have been this year.
Emphasizing that Hamilton has already demonstrated his true talent in F1 on numerous occasions, Bottas said:
"He's already shown everything he can do in F1. I think he'll be fine, he'll be even better next year."
Hamilton has not had a very fruitful time during the ground effect era in F1, which commenced in 2022. With the new regulations kicking off in 2026, the most successful driver in the sport's history will be hoping to get on top of them this time around.
All eyes will be on Ferrari next year with a lot riding on how strong the Italian team's package is in 2026. Neither Hamilton nor Leclerc can achieve much without a quick car, and the pressure is mounting on the team to deliver.
