As Lewis Hamilton adapts to his new chapter with Ferrari in 2025, his performance is clearly impacted by more than just the technical difficulties of driving a car that differs from his previous one. F1 expert Peter Windsor recently shared insights on how drivers from different racing disciplines, especially NASCAR, retain certain advantages that Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, seems to be grappling with this season.
Windsor highlighted that while Hamilton is renowned for his exceptional skill in navigating technical corners, his performance behind the wheel of Ferrari’s car has fallen short of the dominance he exhibited during his Mercedes days. “Lewis has always been exceptional in short corners,” Windsor stated, referring to his signature technique of maximizing pace through tight bends. Yet, he acknowledged that since joining Ferrari, Hamilton has struggled to recapture the sharpness that characterized his earlier driving style, despite the undeniable natural talent he possesses.
This ongoing struggle appears to derive from Hamilton’s difficulty in adapting swiftly to the unique handling characteristics of the Ferrari. Windsor pointed out that Hamilton’s driving style has remained static, not evolving alongside the significant changes in car setups seen in recent years. “He hasn’t been driving in the same style for the last few years, especially when Mercedes struggled,” Windsor observed. “When he moved to Ferrari, I thought he’d revert to his old form quickly, but that hasn’t happened.”
In analyzing Hamilton’s situation, Windsor emphasized the potential edge that NASCAR drivers might have. He referenced Rob Wilson, a driving coach with experience in both F1 and NASCAR, as someone who could provide vital insights to help Hamilton navigate his current struggles. Windsor remarked, “In F1, the coaches are basically the race engineers reading out the telemetry to them; it’s not going to help somebody like Lewis.”
Windsor believes Hamilton needs a mentor like Wilson, someone who can observe his performance closely and offer guidance. “Tapping him on the shoulder and saying, ‘No, no, no, that’s wrong, let’s sit down, let’s talk about this,’” Windsor proposed. He suggested that it takes a coach with bravery and confidence to challenge a driver of Hamilton’s stature, as many might hesitate, thinking, ‘Well, seven-time world champion, how can I tell him what to do?’
The analysis revealed how Hamilton’s current challenges, particularly in areas of car rotation and instinctive feel, could greatly benefit from Wilson’s old-school coaching philosophy. Wilson’s approach emphasizes a more instinctive, raw style of driving than the excessive reliance on data and meticulous setup often seen in modern Formula 1.
In this context, Hamilton’s difficulties underscore the strengths that still define the best talents in NASCAR. The takeaway is striking: while the data-driven approach in contemporary Formula 1 holds significant value, the power of intuitive, instinctual driving should not be overlooked. For Lewis Hamilton, rediscovering that visceral connection with the car might be the key to reclaiming his place at the peak of the sport.
