The fairy-tale arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari was supposed to mark the beginning of a new era, the final masterpiece from Formula 1’s most successful champion. However, a third of the way into the 2025 season, things have taken a far bleaker turn: a grim coda to an extraordinary career.
With Ferrari struggling and Hamilton finding it hard to adapt, former Formula 1 driver and veteran broadcaster Johnny Herbert has delivered a damning critique of the seven-time world champion’s current form and future prospects.
From hero to has-been? Hamilton’s Ferrari nightmare intensifies
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was billed as a romantic swansong: the sport’s greatest driver donning the iconic red colours in pursuit of an elusive eighth title and forging a final legacy. But after eight Grands Prix, that vision has been shattered. The SF-25, a car already known for its unpredictable rear end and inconsistent handling, is incompatible with Hamilton’s driving style. Rather than conquering the car, Hamilton appears to be consumed by it.
In Barcelona, the frustration boiled over. After finishing outside the top five, Hamilton described the race as ‘terrible’ and even labelled it ‘the worst race of my life’. His body language in the post-race interviews spoke volumes: slumped shoulders, curt responses and the vacant expression of a man bewildered by his own decline.
“It looks like Lewis Hamilton is really lost,” said Johnny Herbert, speaking to InstantWithdrawalBettingSites with a mixture of sympathy and brutal honesty.
“With the pure racing skills he has, I thought he’d be able to work around the car’s problems. But it seems like he’s stuck in a hole.”
The Schumacher Parallel: A Haunting Reminder from the Past
For Herbert, Hamilton’s struggles evoke a painful precedent from the past. The Briton compared Hamilton’s apparent decline to the faded fortunes of other former greats, most notably Michael Schumacher. After a successful first career, Schumacher returned to Formula 1 with Mercedes in 2010, only to spend three years largely overshadowed by younger talent.
“Nigel Mansell came back and couldn’t make it work. Michael too, after his break,” Herbert noted.
“Then he was no longer the same Schumacher. This happens, even to the very best.”
This comparison is particularly cruel, given that Hamilton spent years being measured against Schumacher as he chased and ultimately surpassed many of the German legend’s records. Now, according to Herbert, Hamilton is mirroring Schumacher’s twilight years rather than his prime.
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Leclerc is the rising star, while Hamilton is the forgotten one.
Herbert’s harshest criticism came in his assessment of Hamilton’s status within the team. While the veteran driver continues to wrestle with setup changes, balance issues and confusion over tyre management, his teammate Charles Leclerc has quietly reasserted himself as the team’s de facto number one.
“Leclerc isn’t happy with the car either,” Herbert acknowledged, “but he’s still finishing on the podium. That’s the difference.”
Leclerc has outperformed Hamilton in most Grands Prix this season. The confidence he has developed in the car’s quirks over several years in Maranello has kept him in contention at the front, even if Ferrari itself remains in fourth place behind McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes.
Hamilton, by contrast, hasn’t scored a podium finish in a Grand Prix this year. His only real highlights have come in shorter sprint formats: a surprise victory in the Shanghai Saturday sprint and third place in the Miami sprint. However, over the full race distance, where consistency, confidence and understanding of the car truly show through, he has been a shadow of the man who once dominated the sport.
“He doesn’t have the synergy with his race engineer that he needs. He hasn’t found his comfort zone since China,” said Herbert, implying that even Hamilton’s inner circle at Ferrari isn’t functioning as well as it did at Mercedes during their historic run.
Ferrari’s Faith Shifts: Hamilton Now a Passenger in the Leclerc Era
Perhaps the most damning observation from Herbert came not from what Hamilton is failing to do, but from what Leclerc is achieving.
“Leclerc will only continue to grow and control Ferrari’s future,” Herbert concluded.
“He is the one they can rely on. Ferrari cannot rely on Lewis Hamilton at this point. It’s a terrible thing to say, but it’s the truth.”
The implication is clear: Hamilton, once the cornerstone of every team he has driven for, is now expendable. Ferrari’s future doesn’t depend on him, nor does it seem to hinge on whether he rediscovers his form. The focus has already shifted to Leclerc — and possibly to others.
Despite all of Hamilton’s achievements, Herbert’s words suggest that in Formula 1, time waits for no one. Legacy doesn’t lap cars. Statistics don’t stop the stopwatch.
A Crisis of Confidence, Not Just Performance
This isn’t just a story about poor lap times or challenging race weekends. What’s unfolding appears to be a deeper crisis — an internal unravelling. Hamilton’s self-belief has always been unshakeable, even in the face of adversity. This self-belief defined his era of dominance. However, as the weeks go by and the results remain stagnant, cracks are beginning to show in his demeanour.
“Sometimes you don’t realise it when things aren’t as easy as they used to be,” mused Herbert. “But when you look over to the other garage and see that your teammate is faster, maybe something clicks.”
It’s not just that Hamilton isn’t winning. It’s that he doesn’t seem to know why.
Can the legend rebound — or is the curtain falling?
There’s still a long season ahead. Ferrari may yet introduce upgrades that finally tame the SF-25. If given the right car, Hamilton may still deliver glimpses of his former brilliance. However, the fairytale has already begun to unravel, and for the first time in his two-decade career, the whispers that Hamilton’s time at the top has ended are not coming from bitter rivals or jealous critics, but from those who once supported him the most.
Johnny Herbert’s verdict may feel harsh, but in the cold, merciless world of Formula 1, it’s one that many are quietly starting to agree with: Lewis Hamilton, the sport’s most prolific winner, may have passed the point at which winning is possible. Not for lack of trying or willpower, but simply because time has finally caught up with him.
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