Hamilton’s Ferrari Gamble: Hero or Fiasco?

Ralf Schumacher fears disaster for Hamilton at Ferrari, while Eddie Jordan urges the Briton to retire before tarnishing his legacy.

Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari: Hero or Failure?
By leaving Mercedes F1 to join the Scuderia next year, the Briton has undoubtedly taken a major risk. It remains to be seen if it will pay off.

At Mercedes F1 this year, Lewis Hamilton struggled against George Russell: he was beaten on points and even more decisively in qualifying. The seven-time world champion even admitted, in a moment of frustration quickly retracted, that he was “perhaps no longer as fast…”

Could Lewis Hamilton also struggle significantly against Charles Leclerc? This is one of Ralf Schumacher’s concerns, who questions Hamilton’s ability to adapt to an entirely new car.

“The 677 project [Ferrari’s code name for next year’s car] obviously won’t suit his driving style and will leave him trailing behind Leclerc,” Ralf Schumacher already fears for Lewis Hamilton.

“Two legendary names will come together, that’s for sure.”

“You already saw how Ferrari’s shares soared when Lewis’s transfer to Ferrari was announced, but this deal also carries enormous risk if it doesn’t work out.”

“In my eyes, the risk is significant if Lewis does not have a driving style similar to his new teammate Charles Leclerc. We’ve seen what that means at Mercedes. George Russell was faster than Hamilton. One thing is clear: Ferrari won’t be able to build two different cars. No team can do that.”

For Ralf, at Mercedes F1, George Russell benefitted from his… lack of experience compared to Lewis Hamilton. The same situation could therefore occur again against Charles Leclerc.

“A young driver has more capabilities and knows better how to adapt to a car. They understand a car’s limits more effectively. It works like this: a car gives you feedback on its limits. A young driver can work better with an engineer.”

“A driver as experienced and successful as Lewis succeeded with cars built under different regulations that happened to suit his driving style. Today, the cars are heavier and slower to drive. There is less mechanical grip.”

Michael Schumacher’s brother provides a detailed and insightful analysis of the different driving styles in F1, perhaps partly explaining Lewis Hamilton’s struggles.

“This means you need to change your driving style, particularly in the braking zones – and that’s where Lewis was losing time to Russell. Especially in qualifying, it was often clear that Lewis wasn’t entirely sure how to brake. That’s why he often struggled to hit the apex. He was used to braking extremely late, which was no longer possible with the Mercedes. But he’s not the only one who needs a stable front axle. Max Verstappen also needs that, but he’s equally capable of managing an unstable rear.”

Due to his advanced age, Lewis Hamilton at 40 years old risks struggling even more in qualifying than in races, Ralf Schumacher believes.

“I fear that Lewis could lose a few more tenths in qualifying.”

“I also think Leclerc is better at setting up a car. He’s also particularly strong at managing tyres.”

Michael Schumacher better than Lewis Hamilton?

In short, Lewis Hamilton faces many disadvantages when summing up all these points! So it’s no surprise to hear Ralf say that his brother is indeed the better of the two seven-time world champions…

“The biggest difference, among many others, is that Michael was able to work with the engineers to develop a car perfectly suited to his driving style. Lewis has never been able to do that, if you listen closely to what the Mercedes engineers say.”

“This makes things even more difficult for Lewis because Leclerc is the natural leader at Ferrari. For Lewis, everything is new at Ferrari. Michael also arrived at Ferrari as the reigning world champion and was much younger. None of that applies to Lewis.”

When Lewis Hamilton admitted that he was no longer as fast, Ralf agrees with him…

“I think it came from the heart and was sincere,” Ralf said.

“I admire his honesty.”

“The danger exists if everything goes wrong.”

“I think if Lewis realizes he is no longer living up to his own expectations, he will say so. And the Italian press won’t be patient for more than six months if things don’t go well. He isn’t used to that kind of external pressure. Even in Michael’s era, they wanted to fire Jean Todt when success took too long. Michael prevented that, but I doubt the same will happen with Lewis. Maybe he’ll get lucky, and the car will suit him. But I have my doubts.”

Jordan advises Lewis to quit driving!

Ralf Schumacher’s comments finally align with those of Eddie Jordan, who, as always, didn’t hold back. He even urges Lewis to walk away quickly from his new adventure…

“If you don’t believe in it 100%, you’re finished. And the moment I heard Lewis admit he’s no longer fast enough, if I were Ferrari, I’d say: close the book, find an exit. It’s over.”

“A little message for you, Lewis: always remember in life, you have your music, your fashion, all kinds of other things. You are, according to most people, the greatest driver of all time. Listen carefully to what I’m telling you. Always, always think about the best exit. And now is the time to take the money on the table. Walk away.”

“You’re an incredible ambassador. We absolutely adore you. But don’t put yourself in a position where people think less of you because you’re stalling at Ferrari. That’s all I’ll say.”