Lewis Hamilton said he has been left "stuck" with a car that Ferrari cannot fully develop because of the Formula 1 budget cap. The rule limits how much teams can spend on selected aspects of their operations, including car development, over the course of a calendar year.

And that has been particularly restrictive this year, the final season under the current regulations. F1 teams are having to design completely different cars to comply with the 2026 rules, which will also see brand new engines introduced, and that has taken a significant amount of resources away from the development of their current racing machines.

It has proven to be an especially tough situation for Ferrari. Very early in the season, during only the second race weekend of the year at the Chinese Grand Prix, they found that running their car with its ideal set-up meant it was too low to the floor, as both Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc were disqualified because their machines failed post-race checks.

To avoid that happening again, Ferrari have had to raise the ride height of their cars and that has compromised their performance. And they have not been able to develop their way out of trouble because of their restricted spending under the budget cap.

Ferrari hope to reap the rewards next year, having chosen to prioritise their 2026 car when it comes to spending. But they have yet to win a Grand Prix so far in 2025 and the lack of development means they have been unable to make the gains that they would have liked.

For the latest breaking stories and headlines, sign up to our Daily Express F1 newsletter, or join our WhatsApp community here.

Commenting on the situation, 40-year-old Hamilton spoke of the difference the budget cap has made compared to previous regulation changes that he has seen during his time racing in F1. "It feels quite a bit different because of the budget cap," the seven-time world champion said.

"I remember in 2008, [McLaren] were still able to bring upgrades in that year, we were still fighting, still developing the car right to the end. And, obviously, the next year's car was a disaster, but they would have to do those two in tandem. And then in 2013 again, I was switching [to Mercedes], so it's difficult to say so much in that session.

"But I would say this time it's not been as exciting because we've moved over so early, and so you're then just stuck with what you have for the year. So, it makes this season less exciting because you're not getting developments. We're just going to see out the rest of the year with what we have. But then next year will be an exciting one, because there'll be lots of upgrades throughout."