Troubled beginnings at Ferrari spark retirement rumour for Lewis Hamilton – Alarm bells sound as Hamilton struggles to adapt in Maranello Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited chapter with Ferrari has begun with more frustration than fanfare. The seven-time world champion’s early struggles in the iconic red of the Scuderia have prompted former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher to suggest that retirement might arrive sooner than expected for the British superstar after a paddock rumour started to do the rounds.

After more than a decade with Mercedes, Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was supposed to be a fresh start, but instead it has opened up a difficult new reality – one of doubt, inconsistency and mounting pressure. The big story is that Hamilton has serious doubts he’ll ever get on top of the Ferrari and has retirement plans in place.

 

Early signs of trouble for the Prancing Horse

The 2025 season has seen Hamilton struggle with unfamiliar machinery and a teammate who has so far outperformed him on race weekends. While his sprint race victory in China briefly lit up the paddock and sparked headlines about a potential turnaround, it’s largely been downhill in the longer Grands Prix.

In Saudi Arabia, Hamilton was well behind Charles Leclerc, who finished on the podium. Hamilton, meanwhile, struggled to P7, more than 30 seconds behind his team-mate at the chequered flag. These aren’t isolated struggles either. Across several circuits so far this season, the story has been consistent: Hamilton can’t seem to unlock the potential of the SF-25, Ferrari’s latest challenger.

Ralf Schumacher, speaking on Sky Sport Germany’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast, didn’t sugar-coat the situation.

“He just can’t get the hang of the car,” Schumacher said, painting a picture of a Hamilton who looks increasingly lost in his new environment.

“There’s a lot of talk about Lando [Norris], but with Hamilton it’s almost worse. He’s introverted and I’m worried…”

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Mental toll of losing ground

The psychological aspect of Hamilton’s slump is something Schumacher has focused on. Having driven in F1 himself, the German understands the emotional toll of underperforming, especially when expectations are high.

“I know what it’s like to be out there without the tools, to be constantly slower. It breaks you.”

He was referring to Hamilton’s emotionally charged victory at Silverstone last year, which ended a multi-year winless streak. The tears Hamilton shed that day weren’t just about winning – they were about vindication, about proving to himself and others that he still had it in him. Now, less than a year later, Schumacher fears that validation is slipping away.

“That feeling is slipping through his fingers now,” he said, suggesting that the joy of competition – the thrill that once defined Hamilton’s every move – is rapidly being eroded by repeated struggles and underperformance.

“If it doesn’t get better, it’s not fun anymore.”

Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari was hailed as a seismic shift in F1, both symbolically and strategically. After twelve glittering years at Mercedes, during which he won six world championships and became the face of a dominant era, he shocked the motoring world by aligning himself with the sport’s most legendary team – one that hadn’t won a title since 2008.

But Ferrari’s fortunes didn’t turn around overnight. Despite internal changes, renewed investment and a clear desire to return to the top, their 2025 car appears to be suiting Leclerc far better than Hamilton. Deeply embedded in the team and more in tune with its technical direction, the Monegasque has shown greater confidence and pace from the outset.

For Hamilton, it has meant a frustrating learning curve, with each weekend becoming a test not only of driving ability, but of patience, determination and adaptability.

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Rumoured retirement on the horizon?

The question Schumacher dares to speak about is one that a few in the paddock have started to publicly acknowledged: Hamilton retirement will be coming sooner than expected. Indeed an announcement has been mooted as likely in the summer.

“There will come a day,” Schumacher mused, “when he wakes up and asks himself: ‘Why am I doing this to myself? I don’t enjoy it. I can’t seem to get it right and I’m just getting in the way of the team.”

At 40, Hamilton is already older than most on the grid. With nothing left to prove and a life of interests outside of racing – including fashion, activism, music and business – Schumacher suggests Hamilton may find the exit door increasingly attractive if results don’t improve.

“If the situation doesn’t change by the summer break, he might say: ‘I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to live my own life. I’m rich and I don’t need to do this anymore. Because for some reason it just doesn’t work,” Schumacher concluded.

This stark assessment is at odds with the pre-season optimism. Back in February, Hamilton spoke of a “dream move” and the inspiration he drew from Ferrari’s storied past. But dreams in F1 are quickly tempered by reality. A few poor results, a car that refuses to cooperate, and the glitz of Maranello begins to feel like a gilded cage.

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Glimmers of hope amidst the gloom

Nevertheless, Schumacher doesn’t believe all is lost. He points to Hamilton’s performance in the Chinese sprint race as proof that the British driver still has the speed when things fall into place. But the key word is when. For now, those moments are few and far between.

“They have started a huge project,” said Schumacher of Ferrari’s efforts to rebuild around Hamilton and Leclerc.

“But at the moment it’s way behind.”

The project in question was designed to deliver a title push – perhaps not immediately, but certainly within the window of Hamilton’s multi-year contract. With a clear plan in place, the idea was that Hamilton would bring leadership, experience and a winning mentality to Maranello.

Ferrari’s bet was that Hamilton would help lift the whole operation, not just challenge Leclerc.

But early indications are that the burden of that expectation may be too heavy.

“It’s not just about adapting to a car. It’s about carrying a legacy, building chemistry with a new team and staying motivated in the face of repeated setbacks.” said Schumacher.

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Crucial months ahead

The next few races will be crucial, not just for Hamilton but for Ferrari as well. A more competitive run of results could stabilise the situation and rekindle Hamilton’s belief that this project can still succeed. But if the slide continues – if Leclerc continues to lead and results remain mediocre – then Schumacher’s gloomy scenario could become more than just speculation.

Hamilton has always thrived on proving people wrong. Whether it was critics who said he was too young, too distracted, too reliant on superior machinery, he has responded with results. The next few months will show if he can do it again, or if, for the first time in his career, the mountain really is too steep to climb.

For now, the paddock is watching and waiting. Retirement hasn’t been on the table publicly, but as Ralf Schumacher’s comments make clear, the whispers are beginning.

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MORE F1 NEWS – Report: The Red Bull wind tunnel truth exposed

Red Bull are the team which everyone seems to want to bring down something to which Christian Horner turns to repeatedly when he believes the `F1 media coverage of them has been unfair.

Broadcast by Netflix in 2023, the Red Bull team boss was recorded making the claim that in the UK this unfair treatment comes from the Lewis Hamilton fans, who are many. “When you’re competing against the most successful driver of all time and denying him winning, it’s inevitable we’re not going to be that popular with all the Lewis Hamilton fans,” he said while seated in his office. 

“But we’re British based, 95 per cent of the people we employ are British. We just don’t have British drivers,” concludes Horner. Yet when Max Verstappen wins a Grand Prix, it is the Dutch and Austrian anthems which are played, for Hamilton it was the British and the German anthems at the time Horner was recorded, something which is also noted by the fans…. READ MORE ON THIS STORY