A six-time Formula One race winner has made a damning assessment of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari season.
It’s been a difficult start to life at Ferrari for Lewis Hamilton. His season is going so poorly that he called himself “useless” after another early exit from qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton is 42 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc entering the summer break. He is without a podium this season and has struggled in his last two races at circuits where he has previously been successful.
| Position | Drivers' Championship | Points |
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | 284 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | 275 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | 187 |
| 4 | George Russell | 172 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | 151 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | 109 |
As the seven-time world champion wrestles with why he is off the pace, a six-time race winner offered a difficult potential reality.
Ralf Schumacher suggests Lewis Hamilton is ‘too old’ to adjust to Ferrari
Hamilton made one of the biggest driver moves in F1 history by leaving Mercedes for Ferrari. And he did so aged 40. It’s a seismic culture shift to join the Maranello outfit, and one that Team Principal Fred Vassuer said Ferrari underestimated after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Brit has been pushing Ferrari to make changes behind the scenes in order to compete for a championship. Hamilton said the Ferrari is difficult to drive and better suited to Leclerc, as he struggles to adapt to his new team.
Ralf Schumacher, who drove for ten years in F1, said Hamilton’s difficulties could be down to age. Speaking to BILD, he said, “I said before the season that it could go wrong. At the moment, I see a lot of theatricality in him.
“He has counted the team, criticises internally, quarrels with the car – that doesn’t help anyone. The car suits Leclerc, not him. Maybe he’s too old to adjust. Or just can’t cope.”
2026 F1 regulations could be Lewis Hamilton’s last chance of a record-breaking milestone
Hamilton hasn’t had success since new regulations were introduced in 2022. He was never entirely comfortable in the ground effect era. However, 2026 presents another set of regulations in F1, and ground-effect aerodynamics has been scrapped.
He’ll see next season as an opportunity to bounce back. Early reports suggest Mercedes and Ferrari have the early edge in development as the field is set to be shaken up.
Hamilton seeks his record-breaking eighth Drivers’ championship, which would see him surpass the legendary Michael Schumacher. These new regulations could be his last chance.
Even if Ferrari can provide Hamilton with the car, he needs to close the gap. Yes, Leclerc is one of the best drivers on the F1 grid, but Hamilton is arguably the greatest driver in history. If that driver is still in him, next season is the time to show it.