Ferrari’s 2025 Formula 1 campaign has been under the microscope, and Lewis Hamilton’s arrival has only increased the glare. Carlos Sainz, the man Lewis replaced, understands the scrutiny.Sixteen races into his debut year in red, the seven-time world champion trails teammate Charles Leclerc 12-4 in qualifying and 12-2 in race finishes. Hamilton’s lone highlight is a sprint win in Shanghai; all five of Ferrari’s grand prix podiums have come from Leclerc.Speaking after his own bruising afternoon at Monza, Sainz cautioned against oversimplifying Hamilton’s struggles."It’s not just a matter of adaptation. When you have someone like (Charles) Leclerc alongside you, even if you’re going as fast as Lewis was last week in Zandvoort, you know he’ll make life difficult for you. This makes it seem like you’re not doing very well, but I can assure you that to go one or two tenths quicker than Charles at Ferrari, you have to be at a very high level, and in your first year, that’s anything but easy," Sainz said (via La Stampa)Carlos Sainz’s words carry weight because he faced it too. When he joined Ferrari in 2021, he was on the podium at Monaco within the first five races and later out-scored Leclerc across the season. Still, he needed over a year to capture a maiden win at Silverstone in 2022. That timeline frames Hamilton’s current drought less as a shock and more as the growing pains of mastering Maranello’s rhythms.Carlos Sainz (55) Williams FW47 leads Lewis Hamilton (44) Ferrari SF-25. Source: GettyThe SF-25 has proven competitive in flashes but inconsistent over long runs, exposing any lack of comfort. Hamilton has admitted to second-guessing his approach in recent weekends, chasing the fine balance Leclerc seems to unlock naturally. Sainz suggested the frustration is predictable and added:"F1 wears you down. When the results aren’t coming, it can be easy to get into a negative dynamic. I’m not here to give advice to a seven-time world champion... The only thing I can say is to enjoy being a Ferrari driver, because it’s wonderful,"Statistically, Hamilton sits second on an unwanted Ferrari list - most grands prix without a podium for the Scuderia. Didier Pironi’s mark of 19 stands, and Hamilton is already 16 races deep. A stirring run from P10 to P6 at Monza hinted at better days, but the podium remains elusive with eight rounds left.Carlos Sainz’s Monza battle shows his own learning curve at WilliamsCarlos Sainz after qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Italy. Source: GettyMonza offered its own reality check for Carlos Sainz at Williams. Tasked with rebuilding his career alongside Alex Albon, the Spaniard has managed 16 points to Albon’s 70 and trails 4-11 in race results. Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix was another swing at redemption.Starting P13, Sainz led Albon in the early DRS procession. With Alex on hard tyres and Sainz on mediums, the team ordered a swap before Sainz boxed from P7. Rejoining P16, he attacked relentlessly, cutting through as others pitted. His momentum ended abruptly at Variante della Roggia when he drew alongside Ollie Bearman. Contact spun them both, and the chase for points evaporated.Albon, meanwhile, capitalized on others’ late stops and finished P7, Williams’ fifth consecutive Monza points finish.Sky Sports Analyst, Nico Rosberg, floated the idea of a penalty for Sainz, though stewards have yet to issue a verdict. It follows a 10-second sanction for contact with Liam Lawson in the previous round, underscoring how incidents have eroded Sainz’s bid to build rhythm in the FW47.For both Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, Monza underscored how easily expectation collides with reality. One man is adapting to life outside Ferrari, the other chasing his first podium in red. Patience, they know, is rare currency in Formula 1, yet essential when the spotlight never dims.