A Season Under the Microscope – Lewis Hamilton’s season at Ferrari has taken another sharp turn under scrutiny after former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher issued a withering critique of his behaviour towards the team. Schumacher, who raced for Jordan, Williams, and Toyota from 1997 to 2007, accused Hamilton of regularly criticising Ferrari, both publicly and internally, which, in his words, “doesn’t help anyone.”
Hamilton’s move to Maranello in January 2025 was one of the most headline-grabbing transfers in modern Formula One. The signing was a marketing coup for Ferrari, instantly raising the team’s global profile, but it also set expectations sky-high. An early sprint race win in China added to the optimism, but the real work — adapting to a new car and a very different team culture — has proved far more difficult.
The Leclerc Comparison
While Charles Leclerc has secured five podium finishes so far, Hamilton is still searching for his first in Ferrari red. The SF-25’s reported lack of rear stability has been a constant challenge, undermining his ability to extract consistent performance. Behind the scenes, Hamilton has been pushing for changes to the direction of the 2026 car’s development, but that push has been overshadowed by a string of tense radio messages with race engineer Riccardo Adami.
The Hungarian Grand Prix Flashpoint
The season’s nadir may have come at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Knocked out in Q2 and qualifying only 12th, Hamilton called himself “useless” over team radio. In the same breath, he remarked that Ferrari “should change the driver” — a comment that landed awkwardly and drew swift criticism from veterans across the paddock. Any hopes of salvaging the weekend evaporated when he finished the race in exactly the same position.
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Schumacher’s Verdict
Schumacher did not mince his words when speaking to BILD. “I said before the season that this could go wrong,” he said. “Currently, I see a lot of drama from him. He’s been slamming the team, criticising internally, arguing with the car — that doesn’t help anyone.”
He went further, suggesting Hamilton may be too old to adapt to such a dramatic change in machinery, or simply unable to cope with the demands of the SF-25. Schumacher noted that the car seems better suited to Leclerc’s style, and hinted that Ferrari has already made its choice about who to back going forward. Still, he does not expect Hamilton to quit mid-season, regardless of how tense things get.
When the Drama Becomes the Show
Now, I’ve seen Hamilton go through rough patches before. The key difference here is that Ferrari is not Mercedes. In Brackley, a bad weekend was a bump in the road. In Maranello, a frown becomes a headline, a clipped radio call turns into three days of Italian sports talk, and every qualifying error is plastered across the front pages.
Hamilton’s tendency to let emotion spill over has been part of his competitive make-up for years, but it’s also a risky play in an environment as combustible as Ferrari. Here, public frustration is taken personally, and the Tifosi have long memories.
The Leclerc Factor and Team Dynamics
Leclerc’s steady form makes Hamilton’s life harder. The Monegasque has extracted consistent results from the same machine, reinforcing his position as the team’s natural leader. If Schumacher is right, and Ferrari made their choice long ago, then Hamilton’s influence over next year’s car could already be waning. That’s not a comfortable place for any driver, especially one used to being the focal point of his team.
That “should change the driver” comment might have been intended as sarcasm or self-deprecation, but in Italy, nuance is often lost when it comes to Ferrari. Public loyalty is non-negotiable here. Even if the car is flawed, the driver is expected to keep the criticism in-house. History shows that those who cross that unwritten line rarely last long.
And yes, Schumacher’s suggestion that Hamilton is “too old to adapt” will sting. Hamilton has defied the usual drop-off in performance into his late thirties, but Formula One is not sentimental. At 40, each mistake becomes a question mark, and each sharp comment to the team becomes a sign, for some, of decline.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Ferrari is already deep into work on their 2026 car under the incoming regulations. How much of Hamilton’s feedback makes it into that design may well depend on his performances over the rest of this year. If the SF-26 ends up tailored to Leclerc’s strengths, the gap between the two could grow, and the internal politics could become even trickier.
Still, Hamilton has a track record of delivering comebacks when counted out. A podium or two before season’s end could reset the conversation — at least temporarily. Until then, every race weekend is another episode in this unexpectedly tense Ferrari chapter.
So, jury, here’s the question: is Ralf Schumacher right that Hamilton’s public criticism is hurting Ferrari, or is this just what happens when a driver pushes hard for change in a team that doesn’t always take well to being told it is wrong?
Genuine Update on Michael Schumacher
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Max Verstappen has confirmed he will remain with Red Bull Racing for the 2026 season, ending speculation that he might move to rivals such as Mercedes. The announcement came during media day at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Verstappen made clear that despite holding discussions with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, he will stay with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
It is not the first time Wolff has approached the four-time world champion. Last season, Verstappen was considered a possible replacement for Lewis Hamilton, though that opportunity never materialised. The difference this year is that Red Bull’s performance has slipped, with the team currently fourth in the Constructors’ Championship and Verstappen trailing the championship leader by 97 points.
Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes this decline in performance could have played a key role in Verstappen’s decision to stay put. Speaking to Coinpoker, Montoya argued that the Dutchman’s market value is not what it was during his dominant title-winning campaigns. “If I was negotiating with Max last year when he was winning the world championship, let’s say, it would have cost $100 million,” Montoya said. “This year he’s in a struggling car. The number could be $50 million. Maybe that was the reason he stayed.”….. READ MORE
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Hamilton was a spent force before he left Mercedes