F1 Shockwaves: Hamilton on the Hot Seat at Ferrari – Ferrari’s headline-grabbing decision to sign Lewis Hamilton has not yet yielded the results that the Tifosi were hoping for. The seven-time world champion arrived at the Scuderia amid great excitement at the start of the season, but his first year in the iconic red overalls has been full of challenges. Following a series of underwhelming performances and an especially disappointing weekend in Brazil, Hamilton has come under public scrutiny from Ferrari’s CEO, John Elkann.
This has fuelled speculation about the British driver’s future at Maranello, with some pundits arguing that the Scuderia should consider making bold changes to safeguard its competitive ambitions. Among those calling for action is Ralf Schumacher, a former Formula 1 driver and brother of Michael Schumacher, who believes that Ferrari should seize the moment to reshuffle its driver line-up.
Ferrari engineers now pin the blame on…
Ralf Schumacher calls for change
Schumacher has not minced his words regarding Hamilton’s struggles. In an interview with Nextgen-auto.com, he emphasised that Ferrari has promising alternatives within its ranks, particularly Oliver Bearman, a rising star from the Ferrari Driver Academy who is currently making a strong impression at Haas.
“Ferrari has a young Bearman up its sleeve, and he’s doing wonders with the Haas,” Schumacher said. “And he costs a fraction of what Lewis Hamilton does, which is tens of millions of euros a year.”
It feels like the pace has become too fast for Hamilton. He has to expend too much energy to set a good lap time. He has to give more than 100% to get ahead of Leclerc, and that leads to mistakes.”
Schumacher’s assessment highlights a worrying trend for Hamilton: while he is one of the most accomplished drivers in F1 history, he is struggling to adapt to the Ferrari machinery. The combination of a high-pressure environment, a car that doesn’t always suit his driving style and relentless internal competition has created a situation in which mistakes are increasingly visible, and costly.
Bearman: Ferrari’s Rising Talent
The proposed solution, according to Schumacher, is straightforward: bring in fresh blood. Oliver Bearman has emerged as a promising talent within the Ferrari ecosystem. Currently racing with Haas, he has consistently demonstrated maturity, speed and composure, qualities that could make him a valuable long-term asset for the Scuderia.
“He can no longer control the car; he makes mistakes and receives penalties,” Schumacher continued. “If I were a manager, I would say, ‘This isn’t working, I’d rather put my faith in a talented young driver like Bearman.’ It wouldn’t be an unusual solution. Ferrari has done this before.”
Bearman is not only a cost-effective option, but also an opportunity to develop a new generation of drivers who could guide the team to future championships.
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The High Stakes of Change
Replacing Hamilton would undoubtedly be a controversial decision. After all, he is a global superstar whose presence brings immense prestige, sponsorship revenue and media attention. However, Formula 1 is ruthlessly results-driven, and Ferrari cannot afford to prioritise a driver’s reputation over their on-track performance.
Schumacher’s comments highlight a fundamental truth of Formula 1: even legends are not immune to scrutiny. For Ferrari, the question is no longer just what experience Hamilton brings, but whether that experience can translate into the points and victories the team so desperately needs.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on both Hamilton and Bearman. If the young academy driver continues to excel at Haas, the pressure on Ferrari’s management to make a bold decision will only increase. Under the current management, one might imagine that Ferrari would prefer Hamilton to retire sooner rather than later.
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Lewis Hamilton finds himself in good company having been lambasted by Ferrari group chairman, John Elkann. When Fernando Alonso was driving for the team in 2013, he was asked what he would like after as a birthday present after finishing a lowly fifth in Singapore. The Spaniard quipped: “someone else’s car.”
This sparked a furore in Maranello with the PR department releasing an unusual statement about a conversation between the then chairman, Luca de Montezemolo and his Spanish driver. “All the great champions who have driven for Ferrari have always been asked to put the interests of the team above their own,” it opened.
According to the statement, Di Montezemolo also insisted that “this is the moment to stay calm, avoid polemics and show humility and determination in making one’s own contribution, standing alongside the team and its people both at the track and outside it”.
Alonso’s ear “tweaked”
It also remarkably revealed that Di Montezemolo had said in the team meeting on Monday that, “there is a need to close ranks, without giving in to rash outbursts that, while understandable in the immediate aftermath of a bad result, are no use to anyone”.
It was also reported that there Ferrari boss had called Alonso to wish him a happy birthday, but during that call Montezemolo had “tweaked his ear” for his latest comments. A year later and after another Ferrari failure as the 2014 new V6 turbo hybrid era was ushered in, Fernando left the Scuderia reportedly saying he believed they could not win another championship. He blamed the dysfunctional nature of how the team operated for this damning conclusion.
Lewis Hamilton along with team mate Charles Leclerc this week also received an “ear tweak” from the current Ferrari chairman. John Elkann praised the engineers and the mechanics of the Scuderia for doing an excellent job.However, he lambasted his drivers stating, “We have drivers who need to focus on driving, talk less, and we have important races ahead of us, and it is not impossible to finish second.”
In his post race interview in Brazil, Lewis described his first season at Ferrari as a “nightmare” yet it was not this which drew the ire of the Ferrari boss. Prior to the summer break, Hamilton revealed he had “called” a number of meetings with department heads in Maranello and that, “I’ve sent documents. I’ve done [that] through the year.” …READ MORE
Thiago Treze is a Brazilian motorsport writer at TJ13 with a background in sports journalism and broadcast media, alongside an academic foundation in engineering with a focus on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This combination of technical knowledge and editorial experience allows Thiago to approach Formula 1 from both a performance and narrative perspective.
At TJ13, Treze covers driver performance, career developments, and key storylines across the Formula 1 grid, while also analysing the technical factors that influence competitiveness. This includes aerodynamic development trends, simulation-driven design approaches, and the engineering decisions that shape race weekend outcomes.
His reporting bridges the gap between human performance and machine development, helping readers understand how driver execution and technical innovation interact in modern Formula 1. Coverage often connects on-track events with the underlying engineering philosophies that define each team’s approach.
With a global perspective shaped by both journalism and technical study, Thiago also focuses on Formula 1’s international reach and the different ways the sport is experienced across regions.
Treze has a particular interest in how Computational Fluid Dynamics and aerodynamic modelling contribute to car performance, offering accessible explanations of complex technical concepts within Formula 1.
Schumacher couldn’t make as an f1 driver so continues to pour his vitriol comments on lewis time you shut up and left the stage.
He is indeed the sports’ biggest motormouth