Lewis Hamilton’s Descent into Ferrari: An Uncertain Future?
The arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari generated a wave of enthusiasm in the Formula 1 world. The presentation of the seven-time world champion, along with his new teammate Charles Leclerc and team principal Frédéric Vasseur, was met with euphoria. It seemed like the beginning of a new era, with the star driver joining the most emblematic team, eager to break a title drought that had been going on since 2008.
In February, during the SF-24 launch event, the excitement was palpable. Hamilton, motivated by his move from Mercedes, was “revitalized” by the new challenge. However, that initial excitement has quickly disappeared.
McLaren, who almost surpassed Ferrari in the constructors’ championship last year, has proven to be dominant. Hamilton’s victory in the China sprint race in April and a few podiums for Leclerc are the only highlights for the Italian team in the 2025 season, before the summer break. Both Mercedes and Red Bull, who are behind Ferrari in the standings, can boast victories this year.
The most worrying thing is that Hamilton’s energy seems to have given way to frustration. His comments in Budapest, where he called himself “absolutely useless”, could define this costly change. After being eliminated in Q1, Hamilton suggested the possibility of Ferrari needing to change drivers, a surprising statement for a driver with a £60 million a year contract, with more poles and victories than anyone else.
After finishing in 12th place, his mood did not improve. He mentioned “many things in the background… that are not good.” When asked about the Dutch Grand Prix, he replied with an ambiguous “I hope to return.” Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, will be held seven days later.
It’s surprising to see how things have changed in such a short time. Although Hamilton has stated that his focus is on adapting to the 2026 regulation changes, he doesn’t seem to speak or drive like someone capable of facing that challenge.
The situation was slightly better for Leclerc. His qualifying lap was sublime, but his race unfolded in a painfully familiar way for the team’s supporters. Victory seemed possible, until, suddenly, it wasn’t. Leclerc was critical of the team over the radio, but then softened his comments in interviews. This routine of criticism and retraction only reinforces the feeling that Ferrari has a talented driver, but that he is harder on the team in private than in public.
However, Ferrari can console itself with Leclerc’s ability to pull something out of nothing. The same cannot be said for Hamilton. The Hungarian Grand Prix was a weekend without positives for the driver of car number 44.
Is Hamilton’s era over?
In the best case, Hamilton’s comments were alarming. They seemed to come from someone considering throwing in the towel. In an interview, he seemed genuinely struggling to speak without breaking down.Lewis Hamilton looked like a defeated man after the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he finished in a disappointing 12th place.Hamilton’s emotional rollercoaster is well known. Toto Wolff, Mercedes boss, acknowledged it: “That’s Lewis showing his heart. It was very raw. He was disappointed in himself. He has always been emotionally transparent.”
However, the previous week, Hamilton appeared confident and determined not to follow the example of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who failed to win a championship for Ferrari. He revealed that he had been writing documents for the team highlighting underperforming areas, something that Ferrari should have appreciated. But, after that revelation, came two of Hamilton’s worst weekends at Ferrari.
Perhaps this explains the emotional transparency to which Wolff alluded. In recent months with Mercedes, doubt was evident. The man with the most poles of anyone ended his time with the Silver Arrows publicly declaring that he had lost his qualifying magic.
The emotional rollercoaster has been evident this year. His pole and victory in Shanghai were an ephemeral moment. After finishing fourth in Austria and Great Britain, the setbacks in Belgium and Hungary before the summer break have negatively affected him.
Vasseur has downplayed the situation. “I don’t need to motivate him,” Vasseur said. “He’s frustrated, but not demotivated… Sometimes, after the race or qualifying, you get very disappointed and the first reaction is harsh, but we all know we are pushing in the same direction.”
Several theories have been proposed to explain Hamilton’s problems. He has undoubtedly been frustrated with Ferrari’s race strategy, but it is unfair to blame only Ferrari, especially after a weekend in which his teammate achieved pole position. The problems go beyond Budapest. The timing of his team change could be an explanation. Carlos Sainz’s inconsistency at Williams is also a factor.
Hamilton has talked about how different things are at Ferrari compared to Mercedes. While this may be true, Hamilton’s achievements and legacy serve as a double-edged sword. The fact that Sainz, a race winner, is struggling is irrelevant compared to a competitor with Hamilton’s legacy.
Perhaps the difficulties of English at Hungaroring, scene of his first victory with Mercedes in 2013, reinforced the feeling that he has not been able to make the difference he used to make in his old team.
Much was said about Hamilton’s visit to Mercedes in Spa-Francorchamps, seven days before the race in Budapest. But it came after a series of frank comments 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 seemed unthinkable to the audience at the O2 Arena in February. The atmosphere, which was once good, is now sour.
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 winning car, but whether he still believes he is a driver capable of winning with one. Of all Ferrari’s problems, that could be the most alarming.
