Lewis Hamilton’s Descent into Ferrari: The End of an Era?
The arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari generated unprecedented expectations. The image of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, in the red uniform and flanked by his new teammate Charles Leclerc and team principal Frédéric Vasseur, seemed like the beginning of a new golden era. However, the current reality contrasts drastically with that initial optimism. In Ferrari’s season presentation, the atmosphere was euphoric. Hamilton, excited about his move from Mercedes, seemed revitalized by the challenge. He shared a good relationship with Leclerc, even playing chess online. The atmosphere was unbeatable, with a Hamilton who seemed reborn. It seemed that Ferrari had finally found the missing piece. But that was the past. Currently, the excitement and enthusiasm that Hamilton brought have faded. McLaren, the team that Ferrari almost surpassed in the constructors’ championship last year, has emerged as the team to beat. Hamilton’s victory in the sprint race in China in April and a few podiums for Leclerc are the only notable achievements of the Italian team in 2025, before the summer break. Both Mercedes and Red Bull, who are behind Ferrari in the standings, have at least managed to secure victories in Grand Prix races this year. The most worrying thing is that Hamilton’s euphoria seems to have given way to resignation. Some might say that Ferrari took only 14 races to undermine the morale of the considered best driver of all time. Hamilton’s comments in Budapest, where he called himself “absolutely useless”, could be remembered as the moment when this ambitious project went wrong. On Saturday, Hamilton seemed ready to throw in the towel. “They probably need to change drivers,” he declared after being eliminated in Q1, while Leclerc achieved pole position. A surprising statement from a driver with a £60 million a year contract, with more poles and victories than anyone else. Ferrari’s president, John Elkann, who invested in his signing, surely questioned these words. After finishing in 12th place, his mood didn’t improve. He cryptically said 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 return, yes.” Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, will be held a week later. It’s amazing to see how quickly things have changed. Although Hamilton has reiterated that his focus is on adapting to the 2026 regulation changes, he doesn’t speak or drive like someone capable of facing that challenge. The situation wasn’t much better for Leclerc. Despite his impressive pole, his race had a painfully familiar development for Ferrari fans. Victory seemed possible, but it vanished. Leclerc’s radio messages were reminiscent of other times:Leclerc finished fourth. Then, he repeated his usual criticism and retraction, attributing the problems to a chassis failure and not to the changes made during the pit stop. This routine only reinforces the feeling that, in Leclerc, Ferrari has a talented driver who is critical of the team in the intimacy of the cockpit, but less so when he comes out. However, Ferrari can console itself with Leclerc’s ability to make something out of nothing, which cannot be said of Hamilton. The Hungarian Grand Prix was a weekend without positive aspects for the driver of car number 44.“We are going to lose this race with these things. We are losing a lot of time”.
Charles Leclerc
Is Hamilton’s era over?
In the best-case scenario, Hamilton’s comments were alarming. They seemed to be uttered by someone who was considering throwing in the towel. In an interview with Sky Sports F1, he struggled to speak without breaking down.
Several theories have been put forward to explain Hamilton’s problems. He has undoubtedly been frustrated with Ferrari’s strategy. The problems go beyond Budapest. The timing of his team change could be an explanation. This year, the drivers have had difficulty adapting to the new cars. Hamilton has talked about how different things are at Ferrari compared to Mercedes. Perhaps the problems in Hungary, where he achieved his first victory with Mercedes in 2013, have reinforced the feeling that he hasn’t been able to make the difference he used to in his former team. There was much talk of a Hamilton visit to Mercedes at Spa-Francorchamps, a week before the Budapest race. Both Hamilton and Mercedes said it was simply to meet with old colleagues and encourage Kimi Antonelli. But this came after a series of frank comments to the media after being eliminated in Q1. Perhaps it’s not surprising that, at a time of low confidence, Hamilton sought the familiarity of his championship days. All this would have been unthinkable for the audience at the O2 Arena in February. The good vibes have soured. Hamilton still has time to change things. Ferrari could be the team to beat next season, but after Budapest, the question is not so much whether Ferrari can give him a title-winning car, but whether he still believes he is a driver capable of winning with one. Of all Ferrari’s problems, that might be the most alarming.“I don’t need to motivate him. He’s frustrated, but not demotivated. Sometimes, after the race or qualifying, you feel disappointed, but we all know we’re going in the same direction.”
Frédéric Vasseur
