"Drifting in Red: Hamilton’s Ferrari Gamble Teeters on...

“Drifting in Red: Hamilton’s Ferrari Gamble Teeters on…read more

Lewis Hamilton’s much-hyped move to Ferrari was meant to be the dawn of a thrilling new chapter — a triumphant final act in one of Formula 1’s most legendary careers. But just a handful of races into the 2025 season, reality is writing a far grimmer script. A former F1 driver has now delivered a stark verdict: the seven-time world champion appears “lost,” swallowed by a team still trying to rediscover its own identity.

Hamilton’s struggles reached a critical point at the Spanish Grand Prix, where any hope of a resurgence was firmly extinguished. In a bruising display, he was overtaken on merit by Nico Hulkenberg — driving a Sauber, a car never expected to challenge Ferrari on performance. Even more telling was the intra-team defeat to Charles Leclerc, who crossed the line ahead of Hamilton with relative ease, deepening the sense that the Briton is no longer the lead actor in Ferrari’s story.

The man delivering this hard truth is former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher. Known for his unfiltered takes, Schumacher did not hold back. “Right now, Lewis looks lost. He’s not comfortable in the car, and it shows,” he told German media following the Barcelona race. “You can see it in the way he’s driving, the way he’s responding to pressure. Ferrari was supposed to give him a new spark — but it’s doing the opposite.”

Hamilton joined Ferrari at the start of 2025 in one of the most seismic transfers in F1 history. His decision to leave Mercedes, the team with which he claimed six of his seven world titles, was seen as a romantic return to Formula 1’s roots — chasing glory in scarlet, like the legends before him. But the romanticism has given way to a jarring reality.

So far, Ferrari has failed to deliver a consistently competitive car. While Leclerc has managed to extract flashes of performance, Hamilton has seemed disconnected, struggling with setup, tire management, and confidence behind the wheel. The gap between the two teammates is growing — not just in points, but in presence.

“The car doesn’t seem to suit his driving style,” added Schumacher. “And when you have a teammate like Leclerc who knows the team inside out, the comparison is brutal.”

The statistics back up this uncomfortable truth. Hamilton has yet to finish on the podium this season, while Leclerc has managed two third-place finishes. More worryingly, Hamilton has been out-qualified by Leclerc in nearly every race weekend, often by significant margins.

Fans, too, are beginning to voice concern. Social media, once filled with excitement over the Hamilton-Ferrari pairing, is now awash with confusion and disappointment. Some question whether the switch was motivated more by legacy than performance — a move driven by symbolism rather than competitiveness.

Insiders at Maranello say Hamilton is still adapting and that internal dynamics remain positive. But F1 is a results-driven sport, and patience is a luxury rarely afforded. With Red Bull and McLaren setting the pace, and Mercedes showing signs of recovery, Ferrari cannot afford to linger in mediocrity — nor can Hamilton.

For the moment, though, the narrative is shifting. What was meant to be a heroic final arc for one of the sport’s greatest champions now risks becoming a cautionary tale. The red suit fits him, but the car — and the challenge — might not.

Hamilton has silenced doubters before. But to do it again, in this phase of his career and under this pressure, would require nothing short of a miracle.

And so, the world watches — not with admiration, but apprehension. Because even legends can get lost. And right now, Lewis Hamilton is wandering deep in the red.