Breaking: Hamilton Handed Career Blow as Ferrari Switch Unveils S.

Hamilton Handed Career Blow as Ferrari Switch Unveils Struggles

A significant setback for Lewis Hamilton has been revealed after his departure from Mercedes following the 2024 Formula 1 season. The seven-time world champion, who has been a dominant force in F1 for over a decade, faced a challenging year with Mercedes, and questions have arisen about his ability to regain his form after moving to Ferrari.

Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes was a mix of highs and lows. Although he celebrated a standout victory at Silverstone, he frequently expressed frustration with the performance of the W15 car and his own pace. Throughout the season, Hamilton’s qualifying performance came under intense scrutiny, as he struggled to match his younger teammate, George Russell. In 19 races, Russell managed to outperform Hamilton during qualifying, highlighting a major shift in the team’s dynamic.

Russell’s consistent performance earned him an overall higher placement in the drivers’ standings, finishing sixth—one spot ahead of Hamilton. This marked the first time in Hamilton’s illustrious career that a teammate had comprehensively outshone him over the course of a season. For a driver who has been used to dominating his competition, this was a tough pill to swallow.

One of the key reasons behind Hamilton’s dip in form was attributed to his struggle with the handling of the W15 car. As F1 cars have evolved, they’ve become heavier, with less mechanical grip, and more difficult to drive, especially in terms of braking. Hamilton, who had honed his driving style during an era where cars were lighter and more agile, seemed to struggle with adapting to the newer characteristics of the car.

Former F1 driver and Sky Germany pundit, Ralf Schumacher, weighed in on the issue, providing insights into why Hamilton might have struggled in comparison to his younger teammate. “A young driver has more capacity and understands better how to adapt to a car. He understands better what the limits of a car are,” Schumacher explained in an interview with Sport1. Schumacher emphasized that Hamilton’s previous success came in cars that were designed under different regulations and aligned more closely with his driving style.

Schumacher elaborated on the specific areas where Hamilton fell behind Russell, particularly in braking zones. “Lewis was used to braking extremely late, but that was no longer possible with the Mercedes W15. The current generation of cars requires a change in driving style, especially in braking zones, and that’s where Lewis lost time to Russell,” Schumacher added. This difficulty in adapting was particularly evident during qualifying sessions, where Hamilton often missed the apex, a result of braking too late for the car’s handling capabilities.

Hamilton himself hinted at his struggles late in the season, admitting after a poor qualifying session in Qatar that he didn’t feel as fast as he once was. This statement has raised concerns about how Hamilton will fare at Ferrari, where he is set to embark on the next chapter of his career in 2025. Ferrari, a team with its own set of challenges, will require Hamilton to adapt quickly if he wants to compete at the highest level once more.

However, Schumacher offered some hope, pointing out that Hamilton isn’t the only top driver who prefers a stable front axle. “Max Verstappen also needs a stable front axle, but he has been able to handle an unstable rear better,” Schumacher noted. This suggests that if Hamilton can adapt his driving style and work closely with Ferrari’s engineers, there’s still potential for him to recover his form.

The 2025 season will be a crucial one for Hamilton as he seeks to bounce back from a difficult 2024 and prove that he can still compete at the highest level. His move to Ferrari will undoubtedly be one of the most talked-about storylines, but only time will tell if Hamilton can overcome the challenges he faces and recapture the magic that made him a seven-time world champion.