Lewis Hamilton’s Descent into Ferrari: The End of an Era?
Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari generated unprecedented anticipation. At the team’s presentation in February, London’s O2 Arena vibrated at the sight of him, with his new teammate Charles Leclerc and team principal Frédéric Vasseur by his side. Hamilton’s smile reflected the excitement of a new beginning. The union of the most successful driver with the most emblematic team promised to break a title drought that had been going on since 2008.
Hamilton, at 40 years old, seemed “revitalized” by the challenge. The initial results in the Fiorano tests and the good atmosphere with Leclerc, including online chess games, augured a promising future. It seemed that Ferrari had found the missing piece to return to the top.
However, the initial euphoria has quickly faded. McLaren, which almost surpassed Ferrari in the constructors’ championship last year, has proven to be the team to beat. Hamilton’s victory in the China sprint race and a few podiums for Leclerc are Ferrari’s only notable achievements in 2025, before the summer break. Mercedes and Red Bull, who are behind Ferrari in the standings, have at least managed to achieve Grand Prix victories this year.
The situation is worrying, as Hamilton’s “invigoration” seems to have given way to frustration. Some might say that Ferrari took only 14 races to undermine the morale of the greatest driver of all time. Hamilton’s comments in Budapest, where he called himself “absolutely useless”, could be remembered as the turning point of this expensive signing.
After being eliminated in Q1 in a session where Leclerc achieved pole, Hamilton expressed his dismay: “They probably need to change drivers.” These statements, coming from a driver with a £60 million a year contract and an impressive record of poles and victories, left Ferrari president John Elkann perplexed.
After finishing in 12th place, Hamilton added: “There are many things going on in the background… that are not good.” When asked about the Dutch Grand Prix, he responded with an uncertain: “I hope to be back, yes.” Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, will be held a week later.
The speed at which things have changed is astonishing. While Hamilton has reiterated that his focus is on adapting to the 2026 regulation changes, he is not speaking or driving like someone capable of taking on that challenge.
Leclerc’s situation is not ideal either. Although he achieved pole position, his race in Hungary was painfully familiar to Ferrari fans. The car’s pace decreased drastically, and Leclerc fell to fourth place. His radio messages, criticizing the team, were reminiscent of old patterns. Although he later downplayed his comments, the routine of criticizing and retracting is wearing.
Ferrari can console itself with Leclerc’s ability to pull something out of nothing, but the same cannot be said of Hamilton. The Hungarian Grand Prix was a weekend with no positives for the driver of number 44.
The End of an Era?
Hamilton’s comments suggest a possible surrender. His emotional state, recognized by Toto Wolff, reflects the intensity that has characterized him throughout his career. However, his recent statements in Hungary are worrying. The confidence and determination he showed weeks earlier at the Belgian Grand Prix, where he even revealed that he had been writing documents for the team highlighting areas for improvement, seem to have disappeared.
Hamilton’s visit to Mercedes before the Hungarian Grand Prix, although justified as a meeting with former colleagues and support for Kimi Antonelli, could be interpreted as a search for the familiarity of his successful days. The optimism of February in the O2 Arena has been transformed into disappointment.
Hamilton still has time to change things. Ferrari could be the team to beat next season, but after Budapest, the question is not whether Ferrari can give him a car to win the title, but whether he still believes he can win with it.Lewis Hamilton looked like a defeated man after Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, in which he finished in a disappointing 12th place.Of all Ferrari’s problems, that might be the most alarming.
