Hamilton under pressure as Sainz shines at Williams

Brown "lucky" to avoid similar dilemma as Hamilton struggles while former Ferrari driver finds form at Williams

Lewis Hamilton's difficult start at Ferrari has intensified questions about the team's decision to replace Carlos Sainz with the seven-time world champion.

With Hamilton yet to outperform teammate Charles Leclerc in a race this season, team principal Fred Vasseur has been forced to defend the high-profile driver switch.

Hamilton's mounting struggles

Hamilton's downbeat assessments of his Ferrari prospects have become increasingly concerning.

Following another disappointing weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Hamilton spoke candidly about his situation.

"No fix" and a "painful" season ahead were among the stark phrases used by the British driver when discussing his early-season form.

Hamilton has consistently trailed teammate Leclerc in both race results and qualifying pace, opening a significant gap between the Ferrari drivers.

This performance gap has led to growing speculation about whether Ferrari made the right choice in their driver lineup for F1 2025.

Brown's diplomatic response

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, who previously worked with Sainz during his time at McLaren from 2019-2020, offered a balanced perspective when Spanish publication Marca asked if he would have made the same decision as Ferrari.

"It's not as simple as that, there are a lot of dynamics around it that play a role,"

Brown responded.

"Lewis is a seven-time champion and there are not many occasions when you can have a sportsman like that in your team. But, at the same time, Carlos was amazing with us, a good friend, a great driver."

Brown concluded with a diplomatic assessment of the situation:

"Luckily, I didn't find myself in the situation where I had to make that decision."

Sainz finding form at Williams

While Hamilton struggles to adapt to his new team, Sainz appears to be hitting his stride at Williams.

The Spaniard, who won the 2024 Australian and Mexican Grands Prix for Ferrari before his departure, has already made a positive impact at his new team.

Strong performances in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, including a P8 finish at the latter event, have showcased Sainz's adaptability and talent.

His multi-year deal with Williams is already showing signs of being a shrewd move for both parties.

Vasseur's passionate defense

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur launched an impassioned defense of Hamilton when questioned about the driver's form after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

"It's not dramatically,"

Vasseur responded forcefully.

"We did five races so far. I know that you want to have the big headlines tomorrow that 'Fred said this.' But this is fing bullt. At the end of the day, we are in competition. You have ups and downs."

Vasseur pointed to the fluctuating fortunes of other drivers, including Max Verstappen, to illustrate the natural ebbs and flows of Formula 1 performance.

"I'm not sure that you draw the same conclusion with Max [Verstappen] last week when he was seventh [in Bahrain],"

he added.

"The competition is tight. You have 10 cars and a couple of tenths."

Ferrari's continued commitment

Despite Hamilton's comments suggesting pressure from Ferrari management regarding his performances, Vasseur strongly reaffirmed the team's support for their new driver.

"I will be 2,000 per cent behind him,"

declared Vasseur.

"I will give him support and we will start from tomorrow morning to try to find solutions and reasons and to work on it early in the morning. But honestly, I am not too worried."

Vasseur expressed confidence in Hamilton's underlying potential, citing his Sprint race win in China and strong moments in Bahrain as evidence of his capabilities.

"We just have to adjust the balance because we are, collectively, Lewis and us, we are struggling with the balance of his car and [how] he is working the tyres,"

Vasseur explained.

"It's a kind of negative spot but I think the potential of the car is there and we will try to solve that."

As Formula 1 moves further into the 2025 season, all eyes will remain on Hamilton's adaptation to Ferrari machinery.

With Hamilton trailing Leclerc by 16 points in the early Drivers' Championship standings, the pressure continues to build on both driver and team to justify their high-profile partnership.