Ferrari F1: Lewis Hamilton disappointed with his "bad" car, also criticizes "a huge waste of money"

This weekend in Barcelona, the Formula 1 inaugurated the FIA's new front wing flexibility test. A regulatory change that has not failed to raise eyebrows Lewis Hamiltonpilot for the Scuderia Ferrariwho didn't mince his words: "A huge waste of money".

A technical directive... for nothing?

To provide a better framework for fin flexibility, deemed excessive by some teams in 2024, the FIA has introduced a first test on rear fins at the start of the season, and a second on front fins at the Spanish Grand Prix. The aim? To prevent certain teams from circumventing the spirit of the aerodynamic regulations by developing elements that are too flexible.

But after two days of testing and qualifying in Barcelona, Hamilton made no secret of his exasperation. "The balance is certainly not as good as before, but it hasn't changed the hierarchy much. What a waste of money! It literally hasn't changed anything," he blurted out in the press conference. "Everyone's fins still bend, maybe half as much as before, but we've all had to make new ones. It's absurd."

A criticism shared by several pilots

While it's not uncommon for drivers to point the finger at certain technical decisions, the virulence of Hamilton's comments is particularly striking. The seven-time world champion, fifth on the starting grid, even felt that the money would have been better spent "on charity". In his opinion, the directive has achieved nothing, apart from a deterioration in the behavior of the single-seaters: "I've driven the car in simulator, and in real life it's the same: just a little more oversteer at high speeds."

Frustrating race in Spain for Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton's frustration didn't stop on Saturday. Sixth at the finish of the Spanish Grand Prix, after Max Verstappen was penalised, the Briton expressed his displeasure on the radio after the finish line:

"Yeah, it's unbelievable guys. There's something wrong with this car, it's never been this bad."
A stark statement that underlines not only his annoyance with the FIA's technical directives, but also his growing concern about the SF-25's performance in race configuration.

Sir Lewis Hamilton and Ricky post-race:

🎧| Ricky: Thats a P7, tough race. Pick-up please.

🎧| Lewis: Yeah, unbelievable guys. Yeah something's wrong with this car mate, its the worst its ever been.

🎧| Ricky: Its a 10 second penalty for VER so P6pic.twitter.com/bTofx5WF0E

- sim (@simsgazette) June 1, 2025

A podium for Ferrari in spite of everything

Fortunately for the Scuderia, Charles Leclerc saved the day. The Monegasque made the most of a hectic finale to take a solid third place behind the McLaren double (Piastri-Norris), while Verstappen, fourth on the track, was punished by 10 seconds for an aggressive manoeuvre on Russell, relegating him to tenth place. With Leclerc on the podium and Hamilton in the points, Ferrari leaves Spain with 23 points.

In fact, unlike his team-mate, Charles Leclerc takes a more measured view. He acknowledges a loss of high-speed performance due to the new regulations, but says the team has been able to compensate:

"It's a little trickier to drive, but not unpleasant. We can find the balance in another way."

Ferrari regains 2nd place in the constructors' standings

Thanks to this double top-6 finish, Ferrari is back in second place in the constructors' championship with 165 points, just ahead of Mercedes (159 points) and now ahead of Red Bull (144 points), which has been struggling this weekend. McLaren, untouchable in Barcelona, takes off with 362 points.