Hamilton: End of the golden era? Debut at Ferrari, a fiasco.

Lewis Hamilton’s Descent at Ferrari: Has the Magic Ended?

Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari generated unprecedented anticipation. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, with his characteristic style and accompanied by his new teammate Charles Leclerc, radiated optimism at the launch event. The union of the most successful driver with the most emblematic team promised a rebirth for Ferrari, which hasn’t won a title since 2008. At that moment, the atmosphere was unbeatable. Hamilton seemed like a renewed man, and it was perceived that Ferrari had found the final ingredient for their success. However, the initial euphoria has quickly faded, giving way to uncertainty and disappointment. McLaren, who almost surpassed Ferrari in the constructors’ championship last year, has proven to be a formidable rival. A victory in Hamilton’s sprint race in China and a few podiums for Leclerc are Ferrari’s only achievements in the 2025 season, before the summer break. Both Mercedes and Red Bull, who are behind Ferrari in the standings, can at least boast of Grand Prix victories this year. The most worrying thing is that Hamilton’s energy seems to have given way to resignation. After 14 races, the morale of the most successful driver in history seems to have been affected. Hamilton’s comments in Budapest, where he described himself as “absolutely useless”, could be remembered as the turning point of this expensive signing.

They probably need to change drivers.

Lewis Hamilton

After finishing in 12th place, his mood did not improve. “There are many things going on in the background… that are not good,” he declared. When asked about the Dutch Grand Prix, after the August break, he replied: “I hope to return, yes.” Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, is held a week later. It’s surprising to see how quickly things have changed. Although Hamilton has reiterated that his focus is on adapting to the 2026 regulation changes, he is not speaking or driving like someone capable of facing that challenge. Leclerc’s situation wasn’t much better either. While Leclerc’s exceptional qualifying lap drew comments from Hamilton, his race was painfully familiar to those who have followed Ferrari. Leclerc led the early stages, but his car’s pace plummeted and he finished fourth. In the interview, Leclerc downplayed his initial criticisms. “I spoke too quickly,” he said, pointing to a problem with the chassis and not the configuration changes that, according to him, had ruined his pace. This routine of criticizing and retracting 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 in public.

Is it over for Hamilton? At best, Hamilton’s comments were alarming. They seemed to come from someone considering quitting. In an interview, he visibly struggled to speak without breaking down.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff acknowledged this emotional side of Hamilton: “That’s Lewis showing his feelings. He was disappointed in himself. We’ve seen it before, when he felt he hadn’t met his own expectations. He has always been emotionally transparent.” However, two of Hamilton’s worst weekends at Ferrari followed that revelation. Perhaps the Englishman’s struggles at Hungaroring, where he achieved his first victory with Mercedes in 2013, reinforced the feeling that he hasn’t been able to make the difference he used to in his former team. Much was said about a visit from Hamilton to Mercedes in Spa-Francorchamps, seven days before the Budapest race. Hamilton and Mercedes said it was simply a visit to meet with old colleagues and give his replacement, the young Italian Kimi Antonelli, a pat on the back. All of this would have seemed unthinkable to the audience at the O2 Arena in February. The atmosphere, which was once so good, is now sour. Hamilton still has time to turn things around. 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 could be the most alarming of all.