Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari lacking 'soul' in plea for team overhaul

Former Ferrari Formula 1 President Luca Di Montezemolo has criticised the 'soulless' state of the modern team after a disappointing start to the Scuderia's first season with Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time champion joined the Maranello-based outfit from Mercedes after experiencing a career dip after his former team struggled to adapt to the last set of regulation changes in 2022.

Despite Hamilton appearing invigorated in his new environment ahead of his first campaign in red, the 40-year-old has only acquired 25 points across the first four rounds of the year, with team-mate Charles Leclerc also lagging behind the title contenders in the drivers' standings with 32 points.

The Ferrari duo have failed to bring a grand prix victory home so far and consistently appear one step behind their rivals.

This feeling has only been exacerbated by the fact that they were both disqualified following the Chinese Grand Prix last month, with Ferrari only fourth in the constructors' as things stand.

Former F1 boss slams Ferrari decline

Last weekend's race in Bahrain saw Leclerc and Hamilton cross the line in P4 and P5 respectively, displaying slight improvement following the team's decision to bring their first upgrades of the year to Sakhir.

Nevertheless, former Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo has issued a demotivating verdict after visiting his former team's paddock in Bahrain, labelling the outfit as 'soulless', taking aim at the leadership structure in the process.

Speaking to Sky Italia, Di Montezemolo said: "I hope that soon we won't just see podium finishes, but a car fighting for victories again. That requires organisation and time," failing to clarify whether he was referring to team principal Fred Vasseur or Ferrari's wider management structure.

The 77-year-old remains a huge fan of Ferrari having guided the team through its glory days, working as sporting director for the Scuderia under Enzo Ferrari.

Upon returning in the 1990s, Di Montezemolo saw great success as the team were transformed by championship victories thanks to the generational talent of Michael Schumacher.

He clearly feels the state of Ferrari today is a world away from the outfit he saw revitalised during their glory days, continuing his negative evaluation of Hamilton's team.

"I see a team without a soul. Ferrari means passion, means working day and night, never giving up," he continued.

"We urgently need a winning car again."

Whilst he didn't assess the seven-time champion quite so scathingly, De Montezemolo added: "Hamilton is a great driver and part of Formula 1 history. He knows that this is his last chance.

"He came to Ferrari to win and finish his career there."

READ MORE: Max Verstappen demoted after shock Bahrain Grand Prix result

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