Ferrari faces crucial 'confidence game' with Hamilton and Leclerc ahead of new season

Former F1 driver Anthony Davidson has emphasized the critical need for Ferrari to have listened to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc's feedback over the winter, arguing that driver confidence is the key to unlocking performance after a dismal 2025 season. The warning comes after a year where neither driver won a race and Hamilton failed to secure a single podium for the first time in his career, highlighting a significant disconnect between the car and its star drivers.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's inability to provide a car that suits its elite driver pairing is a fundamental strategic failure. For a team with championship aspirations, ignoring the detailed input of a seven-time world champion and one of the grid's fastest qualifiers risks perpetuating a cycle of underperformance. Davidson's comments underscore that car development is no longer a one-way street from engineers to drivers; it's a collaborative "confidence game" essential for competing at the highest level.

The details:

• The 2025 season was historically poor for the Scuderia, with Leclerc and Hamilton failing to win a Grand Prix. Hamilton's podium-less season marked a career first, signaling deep issues with car drivability.
• Hamilton took the unusual step of sending detailed documents to Team Principal Fred Vasseur and the engineering team, outlining suggestions for improvements based on his difficulties adapting from Mercedes.
• A Visible Struggle: Davidson pointed to Hamilton's uncharacteristic mistakes—including spins and off-track moments—as clear "alarm bells" that the car did not inspire confidence.
• Ferrari has already made one personnel change by replacing Hamilton's race engineer, Riccardo Adami, though a successor has not been officially named.
• Davidson stresses the philosophy shift required: "It's not always up to the driver to get used to the car... It's a team game, and you should rely on those two drivers to optimise the tools that you have back at the factory."

What's next:

All eyes are on Ferrari's 2026 challenger to see if the team has successfully channeled its drivers' feedback into tangible design and setup changes. The partnership's success hinges on moving beyond a “this is the car, deal with it” mentality to a collaborative model. If Ferrari has listened, it could mark the beginning of a competitive resurgence. If not, the team risks another season of wasted potential from one of the most talented driver line-ups on the grid.