Hamilton at Ferrari: End of the dream? Disillusionment and doubts in F1.

Lewis Hamilton’s Descent into Ferrari: End of a Golden Era?

The arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari generated unprecedented expectation. The unmistakable silhouette of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, along with his new teammate Charles Leclerc and team principal Frédéric Vasseur, promised a rebirth. The presentation of the new single-seater in February was a noisy event full of optimism, with Hamilton radiating enthusiasm for this momentous change. The 40-year-old British driver felt “revitalized” by the challenge. However, the initial euphoria has given way to a worrying reality. McLaren, the team that Ferrari almost surpassed in the constructors’ championship last year, has emerged as the rival to beat. A victory in the China sprint race in April and a few podiums by Leclerc are the only highlights for the Italian team so far in 2025, before the summer break. Meanwhile, both Mercedes and Red Bull, who are behind Ferrari in the standings, can boast of Grand Prix victories this year. The situation has reached a critical point. Hamilton’s comments in Budapest, where he described himself as “absolutely useless”, could define this ambitious project. On Saturday, after being eliminated in Q1, the driver suggested the possibility that Ferrari might need to change drivers. This statement, coming from a man with a £60 million a year contract and a record of poles and victories, is shocking. After finishing in 12th place, Hamilton’s mood did not improve. He stated that “there are many things going on in the background… that are not good.” When asked about the Dutch Grand Prix, which follows the August break, he replied: “I hope to be back, yes.” Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, will be held a week later. Given the situation a few months ago, it’s amazing to see how quickly things have changed. While Hamilton has reiterated that his focus is on adapting fully in time for the 2026 regulation change, he is not speaking or driving like someone capable of facing that challenge. The situation was not much better for Leclerc. Despite a sublime qualifying lap that triggered Hamilton’s comments, his race followed a painfully familiar pattern for anyone who has followed Ferrari in the modern era. Leclerc, in his radio messages, expressed his frustration: “We are going to lose this race with these things. We are losing a lot of time… This is incredibly frustrating. We have lost all competitiveness. They just have to listen to me… It’s a miracle if we finish on the podium.” Leclerc was right. After leading the early stages of the race, his car’s pace dropped and he fell to fourth place.

“I spoke too quickly,” said Leclerc, pointing to a problem with the chassis and not with the configuration changes in the pit stop which, according to him, had ruined the pace he had had throughout the weekend.

Leclerc

Leclerc’s ability to pull something out of nothing is a consolation for Ferrari, but the same cannot be said for Hamilton. The Hungarian Grand Prix was a weekend without positives for the man in car number 44.

Is it over for Hamilton? His comments were alarming. They seemed to be uttered by someone considering throwing in the towel. In an interview, he seemed to struggle to speak without breaking down.

The image shows Lewis Hamilton, who looked like a defeated man after Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, in which he finished in a modest 12th place. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff acknowledged Hamilton’s emotional transparency, stating that “Lewis wears his heart on his sleeve. It was very raw. He was disappointed in himself… He has been emotionally transparent since he was young. He will beat himself up.” A week earlier, Hamilton was defiant and confident, revealing that he had been writing documents for the team highlighting underperforming areas. However, following that revelation, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Hamilton’s two worst weekends in a red car followed the same. Perhaps this explains the emotional transparency Wolff referred to. Ferrari has not shown persistent concerns about Hamilton’s declining form and his growing defeatism. Vasseur has downplayed the situation, stating that “I don’t need to motivate him… Sometimes, right after the race or qualifying, you are very disappointed and the first reaction is harsh, but we all know that we are pushing in the same direction.” Several theories have been proposed to explain Hamilton’s difficulties this year. There is no doubt that he has openly become frustrated on numerous occasions with Ferrari’s race strategy, but it is unfair to simply point to Ferrari, especially after a weekend in which his teammate secured pole and should have been on the podium. The problems go beyond Budapest. Hamilton’s form simply hasn’t been at the expected level. The timing of his team change could be an explanation. A trend this year has been how, in the last year of the regulation cycle, drivers have struggled to adapt to the new cars. Hamilton has spoken about how different things are at Ferrari compared to Mercedes. His achievements and his legacy serve as a double-edged sword: the excuse is not valid when boasting the greatest statistics the sport has seen. Perhaps the Briton’s difficulties at Hungaroring, the scene of his first victory with Mercedes in 2013 and a place considered one of his strongest circuits, reinforced the feeling that he simply hadn’t been able to make the difference he used to make in his old team. Much was said about a visit Hamilton made to Mercedes at Spa-Francorchamps, seven days before the race in Budapest. All this would have seemed unthinkable to the public at the O2 Arena in February. Hamilton still has time to reverse the situation. Ferrari could be the team to beat next season, but after Budapest, the question is not so much whether Ferrari can give him a car to win the title, but whether he still believes he is a driver capable of winning with one. Of all the problems at Ferrari, that could be the most alarming of all.