Italy is beginning to lose confidence in Lewis Hamilton.

      "It’s a new environment, a different culture."

      After all the pre-season excitement, Lewis Hamilton's journey at Ferrari is already losing its shine.

      "From promises to doubts," reads the headline in Corriere della Sera, highlighting the "more complicated than expected" transition for the seven-time world champion from Mercedes to Maranello. The article voiced disappointment that while Hamilton's predecessor, Carlos Sainz, is finally beginning to find his footing at Williams, the same cannot be said for Ferrari.

      "Even newcomers like Ollie Bearman at Haas have adapted more quickly," stated Corriere della Sera, "and this is causing embarrassment for both the team and outsiders." Some are speculating that 40-year-old Hamilton's Ferrari chapter could conclude as soon as December.

      Former prominent Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola mentioned to Sky Italia that Hamilton's 2025 season reminds him of Sebastian Vettel's unfortunate final seasons with the team. In both 2019 and 2020, Vettel's teammate was Charles Leclerc.

      "Leclerc is similar to (Max) Verstappen," Mazzola remarked. "He can handle a challenging car. It’s in his driving style."

      Vettel, who is now retired, is in Saudi Arabia this weekend and has come to Hamilton's defense.

      "It’s a new environment, a different culture, different people. Some simply require more time to acclimate," the four-time world champion shared with Sky Deutschland.

      "There is no doubt about Lewis’s driving abilities. He can accomplish everything that is requested of him. It’s entirely normal to need some time," the German added.

      "If development progresses positively, Ferrari will be in a vastly different position. They were very competitive last year and narrowly missed out on the constructors’ championship. One shouldn’t write off either the team or its drivers," Vettel concluded.