‘Tragedy in Red’: Schumacher tears into Hamilton – Ferrari are having a Formula One season to forget. There have been few highs other than Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the Shanghai Sprint, although as is often the case for the Scuderia the lows are deep and right around the corner. The team brought upgrades to the Hungarian Grand Prix and the paddock was abuzz that Ferrari was back – again. Charles Leclerc took a tremendous pole position from the two McLarens and his race pace was strong as he easily kept the McLaren duo behind for the first two stints of the Grand Prix.
The in true Ferrari fashion, they threw it all away at the final stop for tyres. The team were concerned about the plank wear as the car had been visibility striking the ground at several locations around the track. So they pumped up Leclerc’s tyres by a few PSI to raise the car, but it cost Charles around half a second a lap in time and his race was run.
Ferrari small highs and big lows
Meanwhile on the other side of the garage, Lewis Hamilton was having a big, big low. He failed to make it out of Q2 and started Sunday’s race in P12 where he finished. Hamilton described his performance as “useless” and suggested Ferrari should “change the driver.”
With some R&R over the summer break, the drivers returned to Zandvoort last weekend, some having suggested the time off was a “reset”, but this was not the case for Ferrari. In first practice both drivers were a massive 1.6 seconds off the leader’s pace, although by the time qualifying came around they had improved to 6th and 7th. Yet a double DNF, the first since Canada 2024 leaves the Italian national racing team hoping for redemption in Monza this weekend.
Ralf Schumacher, speaking to Sky Sport Deutschland, was particularly scathing in his assessment of Hamilton. “In the Netherlands he made a serious mistake. In the jargon of drivers we would call it a first grade mistake,” Schumacher said. “I’m perplexed about him. On the one hand I think he can do it, on the other hand he seems to be under enormous pressure and often he puts himself there. It’s definitely tragic to see him like this now.”
Hamilton “tragic” – Antonelli ‘learning’
Hamilton’s error was compounded by a penalty that will carry into Monza. The Briton received a five-place grid drop for breaking yellow flag regulations during the reconnaissance lap before the grid was formed. Schumacher questioned Hamilton’s direction. “If something doesn’t happen as soon as possible, I really don’t know what it’s convenient for him to do, continue or whatever. At the moment it’s tragic to see it like this. Even if the speed is still there, there is always something wrong.”
Schumacher reserved kinder words for Kimi Antonelli, who collided with Leclerc but has since been defended by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “Toto did well. It should always be like this. When a young person has an opportunity like that he needs time and I think their support is fantastic,” Schumacher said. “He knows what he did wrong and the speed was there. He struggled at the beginning of the weekend, but in the end he was there.”
Ferrari’s trip to Zandvoort resembled less a Grand Prix campaign and more a Shakespearean tragedy. Leclerc was cast as the noble prince felled by Antonelli’s overeager sword, while Hamilton stumbled into the walls like a veteran soldier stumped by the barrier. Into this scene steps Ralf Schumacher, who delivered his lines with relish: Hamilton’s crash a “first grade mistake,” his form “tragic.” One almost expects Ralf to hand out school report cards, grading drivers on their performances.
Hamilton shrugs off Ferrari pressure
Ferrari 50 year historic livery for Monza
The irony, of course, is that Hamilton’s speed remains almost there— flashes of pace, glimpses of the old magic — but each race seems to end with a footnote of error or sanction. A five-place penalty for a yellow flag infringement on the reconnaissance lap feels like the kind of mistake you’d expect from a nervous rookie, not a seven-time world champion in red. Ferrari fans must now pin their hopes on Monza, but instead of dreams of glory, they are bracing for further heartbreak.
As for Antonelli, the contrast is striking. Where Hamilton earns himself lectures, the teenager is treated with patience. The Ferrari duo will head to the team’s home grand prix in a special livery designed to celebrate the 50 years since Niki Lauda win his first championship in 1975 and at Monza.
The striking red, white and silver livery takes inspiration from Lauda’s 1975 title-winning 312 T. It features an expanded white section running from the cockpit to the exhaust, a period-accurate shade of Ferrari red, and a metallic silver rear wing evoking the aluminium era before carbon fibre. The cars will also carry retro-style race numbers.
The day of Lauda’s first F1 title
The tribute extends beyond the cars. Hamilton and Leclerc will wear specially designed race suits, while Ferrari’s crew will don commemorative team kit on Sunday. The design recalls Ferrari’s triumph at Monza in 1975, when Lauda’s third place secured his first of three drivers’ titles, and Clay Regazzoni’s victory sealed the constructors’ crown in front of the tifosi.
Ferrari’s tribute to Lauda is poignant, stylish, and perhaps just a little ironic. Fifty years ago, Lauda clinched a title with a car that was both fast and bulletproof. Today, Ferrari arrives at Monza with a livery that screams history, but with cars that have a habit of screaming into gravel traps. The tifosi, loyal as ever, will cheer the retro look regardless, but many would prefer to celebrate Lauda’s legacy with a podium rather than a paint job.
Hamilton and Leclerc will wear throwback suits, completing the full replay. One imagines the team were tempted to go all in: perhaps a paddock menu of 1970s spaghetti al pomodoro, or a garage soundtrack of era-appropriate Italian disco. But while Ferrari’s aesthetics rarely disappoint, the tifosi know that the real homage to Lauda would be to deliver the kind of ruthless efficiency that made the Austrian a legend.
F1’s CEO says new engine cycle to be agreed in Monza
This weekend Formula one returns to one of its most historic of circuits in the royal park in Monza, often called the temple of speed. The track was part of Europe’s move to copy the UK and build circuits for racing given the number of spectators getting killed at the road racing events.
In 1954 the track was modified to include a high speed oval as part of a figure of eight configuration where the cars shared the main straight, whether about to enter the oval or continue straight on into the park section. The banking section remains today, but was abandoned for racing when in 1962 Wolfgang von Trips along with fifteen spectators were killed following a collision with Jim Clark’s Lotus.
Today the Monza circuit is showing its age, the access for the expected 300,000 spectators needs improving together with walkways which are from yesteryear need attention to cope with modern demands. Unlike the glitz and glamour of theAbu Dhabi grandstands, Monza’s remain a testament to a time when functionality over form mattered…. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
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