Is Hamilton’s Ferrari Move Becoming a Shakespearean Tragedy? Ralf Schumacher slams Lewis for “inappropriate” comments as Leclerc steals the show again – Once hailed as Formula 1’s next great fairytale, Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited move to Ferrari is starting to look more like a Shakespearean tragedy, with a splash of farce for good measure.
Seven months into the 2025 season and after yet another underwhelming weekend at Spa, the seven-time world champion is not only failing to deliver results, but also attracting criticism for his increasingly public grievances. Ralf Schumacher, never one to pass up a chance to jab at a struggling rival, has now weighed in with his assessment: the Hamilton-Ferrari project is “a bit of a tragedy.”
And if that sounds like a harsh summary, well, just wait until you hear the rest.
Two Q1 exits and one very confused rear axle
Ferrari rolled into Belgium with high hopes. Their much-anticipated rear suspension upgrade had finally arrived, and the team’s engineers dared to believe that this might be the beginning of a long-overdue turnaround. Charles Leclerc duly delivered, finishing on the podium behind the dominant McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Meanwhile, Hamilton…
Let’s just say things didn’t go quite as planned.
The 40-year-old Brit endured two separate Q1 exits within 24 hours. First, he spun out at the Bus Stop chicane during Sprint Qualifying after blaming a mysterious “new component”, reportedly upgraded Brembo brake materials, for unsettling his car under braking. Then, during Saturday’s proper qualifying session, he had his final flying lap deleted for a track limits violation and chose to start Sunday’s race from the pit lane. A wet and wild Grand Prix saw him salvage a seventh-place finish, but it was a recovery drive in name only.
Upgrades, downgrades, and damning words
Perhaps more damning than the results themselves were Hamilton’s own comments following the weekend. Despite Ferrari pinning much of their remaining 2025 hopes on the suspension upgrade, Hamilton told reporters the car “felt the same as before” and showed no noticeable improvement. In an already tense environment, those words rang out like a foghorn in a confessional.
Hamilton did express hope that the Scuderia would eventually figure out how to optimise the parts during the second half of the season. But the messaging felt all too familiar: another weekend, another vague promise that the next one will be better. And now the knives, or rather, the microphones, are out.
Ralf sticks the boot in
Ralf Schumacher, a man with no particular fondness for holding back, used his appearance on the Backstage Pitlane podcast to lay into Hamilton’s recent performances and public remarks.
“Lewis just finds it harder to cope with changes,” he said. “He’s simply more sensitive in that regard.”
Translation: stop moaning and get on with it.
Schumacher also suggested that the new rear suspension, the very one Hamilton dismissed, may simply suit Leclerc’s driving style better. “It’s a bit of a tragedy,” he continued. “And Hamilton sometimes makes inappropriate comments. Then to deliver a weekend like the one at Spa is, of course, unfortunate. But I would give him a little more time.”
A little more time, perhaps. But how much patience does Ferrari have left?
Leclerc shines and strengthens his grip
In stark contrast to Hamilton’s Spa struggles, Charles Leclerc put in another composed and confident drive. According to Schumacher, the Monegasque’s handling of the upgraded SF-25 in all conditions, wet, dry, slippery, indifferent, showed why Ferrari may soon have no choice but to build next year’s car around their established number one.
“Compared to Hamilton, Leclerc had a perfect weekend,” Schumacher noted.
“He managed it in all conditions and was strong. That’s a nice trend for him and the team. But that doesn’t make things any easier for Lewis, because the team will listen to Charles even more now.”
The message between the lines? Ferrari is a results-driven business, and right now, only one of its drivers is delivering any.
Hamilton’s internal power play
Still, Hamilton isn’t going down without a fight. In a bid to turn his season around, he has reportedly held a number of internal meetings with key figures at Ferrari and even submitted two documents to suggest structural changes within the team, along with ideas to improve the car’s direction into 2026 and beyond.
Project 678, Ferrari’s next-generation machine, is already in the early stages of development. And while some within Maranello have called for Ferrari to incorporate Hamilton’s vast experience into the car’s DNA, Spa may have nudged the balance of influence firmly back toward Leclerc.
Backing Vasseur: A rare moment of unity
One area where Ferrari’s usually contrasting drivers did agree, however, was on the future of team boss Frédéric Vasseur. The Frenchman has been handed a fresh multi-year deal to continue as Ferrari’s team principal, despite a rocky start to 2025 that had prompted speculation in certain Italian tabloids about his future.
Hamilton, who was personally lured to Ferrari by Vasseur, said he was “incredibly happy” about the news. “Continuity is really important I think for the team,” he told F1.com.
“Fred’s the right person to lead this team as I’ve said from the beginning.”
Leclerc echoed the sentiment, albeit in his usual more polished style. “Fred has an incredible vision,” he said. “What’s very difficult within Ferrari is the emotion is very much part of the daily job… Fred really knows how to leave his emotions aside and have a clear vision no matter how much noise there is.”
In a team often criticised for emotional overreactions and knee-jerk decisions, this show of stability from both drivers is perhaps the only positive Ferrari can cling to heading into the summer break.
Where does this leave Lewis?
So what’s next for Hamilton? If Ferrari’s trend continues and Leclerc remains the clear frontrunner, will Hamilton’s influence wane further? Can he convince the team to take his feedback on board for Project 678? Or has the fairytale already turned into a cautionary tale?
For now, the clock is ticking and the jury — that’s you, dear readers — is out.
Was Ralf Schumacher right to call Hamilton’s remarks “inappropriate”? Is Ferrari now officially Leclerc’s team? And can the Scuderia really balance two such different driving styles heading into 2026?
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Is Hamilton just getting started, or already losing the plot? The Judge is watching…
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Tell us again, how successful was Schumacher… Sorry not Michael, I meant Ralf😳
Time after time, week in and week out, Hamilton is proving what a blunder Ferrari made.
Hamilton will be the last to accept that he was never great shakes as a driver, it was just the machine. He is back at his game of blaming everything and everyone but himself.
A buffalo in the middle of the road will be less of an impediment for the rookies.
I can just see Ralf sitting down for dinner with Helmet and Jos and JV