Toto Wolff has spoken about his former driver after a mixed start to Lewis Hamilton’s life at Ferrari; watch every session of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has “no doubt” Lewis Hamilton still has the “magic” to perform at a high level after a difficult start to life at Ferrari.

Hamilton has largely been outperformed by Charles Leclerc after six rounds but was more competitive last weekend in Miami, finishing third in the Sprint and on the tail of his Ferrari team-mate in the main race, albeit in eighth.

The three race weekends prior to that saw Hamilton lost for answers as he was unable to beat Leclerc in competitive sessions, and the seven-time champion said after April’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that it would be a “painful” 2025.

“I think we saw that magic in the Sprint Race in Shanghai. He was completely dominating that race,” said Wolff, who spent 12 seasons as Hamilton’s boss at Mercedes.

“It’s not like you have the magic in one race and then suddenly you lose the magic in the next one. I very much believe that it’s still there.

“If he aligns all his performance contributors and feels he is in the right space and the car is to his liking, he will be stellar. I have no doubt.”

Despite his struggles, Hamilton is only 12 points behind Leclerc ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.

Hamilton’s pace deficit to Leclerc has not been in one particular area, and Wolff thinks his former driver will rediscover his best form.

“I’m also not surprised he has those road bumps. He was with us 12 years – the way of operating. He’s been put in a Ferrari, where his team-mate has been a long time,” continued Wolff.

“And his team-mate clearly is one of the very good ones. So from the outside and speaking to him, it’s a trajectory any new driver needs to go through in a top team.”

Wolff still ‘great friends’ with Hamilton

Earlier this year, Wolff said it felt like he had three drivers as he watched Hamilton’s progress at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, as well as his two Mercedes drivers.

The German confirmed he still talks to Hamilton away from the paddock.

“We’re still great friends with Lewis. I spent a lot of time with him, travelling, and I’m still seeing him,” he said.

“It came to a point last year where, you know, it’s like spending 12 years in a row on holiday with your best friend. At a certain stage you say, well, maybe do something else this time around.

“And for Lewis, he needed a refresher, a reinvention. Ferrari is iconic, no doubt about that. Certainly he also got terms that were interesting for him.”

Russell: Not nice to see Hamilton struggles

Hamilton’s lack of consistent, strong results is a continuation of his last year at Mercedes where he finished behind team-mate George Russell in the championship and was outqualified 19-5.

Russell thinks people have been “underestimating how difficult Formula 1 is” and how difficult it is to adapt to a new team.

“He’s a champion, he’s a winner, and he’s in a position where he can’t achieve that,” said Russell.

“And it’s not easy to accept. If he was beaming with a big smile, you’d be questioning why he’s beaming with a big smile.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for him and I like him personally. It’s not nice to see somebody who’s not enjoying it.

“But why should he be enjoying it? Because for him it’s not about the money, it’s about the results. And it’s not clicking for him at the moment, but I’m sure it will click at one point.”