Lewis Hamilton agrees with 'crisis' claims before Saudi GP as Ferrari struggles continue

Lewis Hamilton admits talk of a "crisis" is to be expected given the significance of his partnership with the team. There has been a huge amount of hype ever since the seven-time champion began working with the most recognisable outfit on the grid.

But so far there has been little joy on track. Other than a surprise first victory in red in the sprint race at the , has struggled to find his form and his fifth-placed finish was the best of a forgettable run of results.

And the 40-year-old says he understands why there is so much talk of "crisis" surrounding himself and his new team right now. "On one side it's to be expected - it's the greatest team in Formula 1 history, it's that special,” he said.

"Of course there's more stories that are written about it and people have opinions. And it's not always been smooth sailing. So, just from my perspective, you can't work with a team and change things overnight."

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Twenty-five points from the first four rounds, including that China sprint, is not the sort of form Hamilton would have hoped for when he signed up for his Ferrari adventure. But there are mitigating factors, most significantly the fact he has to forget most of what he learned in 12 years at and adjust to Ferrari machinery.

And the problems certainly aren't all his. Charles Leclerc has been with Ferrari for years but only has seven points more - their car is not as competitive compared to McLaren as their 2024 machine was, while operational errors such as those which led to that infamous double disqualification in the main Shanghai race have also been costly.

Team principal acknowledged there is improvement to be made on both sides as . He said: "You won't replace 12 years of collaboration in two weeks or in two races. For sure, we need to improve - but I think this is true for everybody in the team, in the paddock.

"It's good to have Lewis with this mindset to say, 'Okay, I have to improve also myself and to adapt myself to the car.' We will work on the car to adapt the car to Lewis, but he also has to do a step. And I think this, between us, is done in a positive way and a very constructive way."

For Hamilton, adjusting and becoming more comfortable remains a process. He said: "There's so many great things within this team. We want to harness the energy and the passion that's within the team.

"We also have to protect the team as well because the spotlight is on this team more than any other. Everyone in this team, their heart is so in it. It's like we're riding a rollercoaster together, up and down, and I have no doubts we will get to where we plan to be - it's just going to take time."