Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton loses his spark: “Charles Leclerc could retire him like he did with Sebastian Vettel”. Lewis Hamilton continues to struggle at Ferrari.

The magic of Lewis Hamilton seems to be over: the seven-time F1 world champion, now in his first year at Ferrari, looks unrecognizable, and Carlo Vanzini fears Charles Leclerc may “retire” him. Finishing only sixth at the chequered flag of the Spanish Grand Prix, the Briton even gave way to Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber. It was a disheartening outcome after yet another race spent in the shadow of his teammate.

It’s a matter of “adaptation,” as often repeated in recent months. After spending his entire career with McLaren and Mercedes, it’s only natural that Hamilton needs time to adjust to new systems and structures. However, at the ninth round of the season, there are still few positive signs from Ferrari #44. Far off his teammate’s pace, he was even beaten in Barcelona by a surprising Nico Hulkenberg.

The comparison with Charles Leclerc is striking: the Monegasque is consistently ahead in races – except at Imola, where he was overtaken during a restart on used tyres – and has been outqualified only in Shanghai and Barcelona. But what’s worrying is not just the final result, but the race pace itself: the Briton is often slower, less effective in terms of race rhythm, and when ahead, ends up giving up the position.

Hamilton like Vettel: “retirement” comes from Leclerc
In his post-race debrief on his YouTube channel, Carlo Vanzini analysed what happened in Spain: “I’ve always said Hamilton would be a great fit for Ferrari in terms of mindset, energy, and work method. I always warned about a possible boomerang effect – enthusiasm, if not backed up by results, could backfire.”

“I said this because I thought Ferrari would be fighting for the championship, as they claimed themselves – not the media, as Fred Vasseur says. I imagined a Lewis Hamilton who would bring out the best in Charles Leclerc, with both drivers fighting for podiums. And in a way, this is happening: Leclerc is fighting for 4th–5th, while Lewis is two or three positions behind.” – he pointed out.

“This is already the second time he’s been asked to move over for Leclerc, and it’s quite embarrassing that, once overtaken, he falls so far back. Of course, there are mitigating factors – he’s driving a car he doesn’t yet know, and so on. But this was a track where Hamilton has six pole positions and six wins. If he starts fifth and finishes sixth, while Leclerc starts seventh and ends up third, something’s not working.”

“Lewis Hamilton’s success would have come along with Charles Leclerc’s and Ferrari’s success in the constructors’ standings. We’ve never seen this kind of Lewis before. It’s too early to say for sure, but it seems like a repeat of the past: Leclerc retired a four-time world champion like Sebastian Vettel, replacing Ferrari’s last world champion, Kimi Raikkonen – and now he seems on track to retire a seven-time world champion.”

“I’ve always said: if in the future Ferrari has a car capable of 1-2 finishes, we’ll see Lewis Hamilton shine. Otherwise, we’ll see him struggle. Let’s wait for a new car and the driving style dictated by the upcoming regulations.” – the F1 commentator concluded.