Lewis Hamilton still receives a special park from Ferrari, despite his dreadful start to his career with the Scuderia.
The seven-time world champion made the move from Mercedes ahead of the 2025 season, signing a contract said to be worth £41 million per year.
Hamilton replaced Carlos Sainz Jr as partner for Charles Leclerc and called it a "childhood dream" to race for Ferrari.
However, his maiden season with the Italian motorsport giants has turned into a nightmare - with Hamilton struggling to get going in his car thus far.
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With just three races remaining, Hamilton is still searching for his first podium finish - compared to Leclerc's seven.
He is sixth in the overall driver standings with 148 points, 66 behind Leclerc.
Well out of the title picture, the 40-year-old has repeatedly expressed frustrations and did not finish the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday - retiring on lap 37 after previous damage to his car.
To make matters worse for Ferrari, Hamilton's teammate Leclerc also retired.
However, it is not all doom and gloom for Hamilton as a Ferrari driver. That's because in driving for them, Hamilton is afforded a unique privilege which allows him to drive any Ferrari, anywhere, at any time.
Leclerc made the admission on the 'Box Box' podcast with Formula 1 journalist Tom Clarkson, explaining: "I'm pretty sure that if I ask, 'I would like to drive this car', then Ferrari would make it happen.
"So this is obviously very, very special. Whatever car, whichever year - yeah, Ferrari can make it happen."
In the constructors' championship, Ferrari are now fourth in the rankings following the double retirement, with Hamilton's former team Mercedes 36 points clear in second and Max Verstappen's Red Bull third.
Though they are widely seen as the most prestigious team in motorsport, a Ferrari driver has not won the Drivers' Championship since Kimi Raikkonen did so in 2007.
In an interview with Sky Sports, a downbeat Hamilton reflected on his immense disappointment season - stating: "This is a nightmare, and I have been living it for a while. The flip between the dream of driving for this amazing team and the nightmare of the results we have had, the ups and downs, it's challenging."
However, he did provide more optimism in an Instagram post as after calling the race result "gutting, Hamilton wrote: "I back my team. I back myself. I will not give up. Not now, not then, not ever."
Next up in the F1 calendar is the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which takes place around the strip of Sin City on 23 November.
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1, Ferrari
Josh Lawless