Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, hailed as a historic moment in Formula 1, has yet to deliver the expected results. After a difficult season with Mercedes, the seven-time world champion continues to struggle at Maranello, where Charles Leclerc has outperformed him across every key metric. With 16 consecutive races without a podium finish, the British driver finds himself at the center of increasingly sharp criticism and analysis.
Former driver David Coulthard, now a commentator for Channel 4, did not hide his doubts: “After the end of his time at Mercedes alongside George Russell, it seemed he had lost his mojo. It was expected that at Ferrari he would regain energy thanks to the support of the fans, but that didn’t happen. Hamilton is a superstar, no one doubts that, but you are judged against your teammate, and now he must prove he can stay ahead of Leclerc.”
Can Lewis Hamilton really win with Ferrari, or are his hopes fading?
Coulthard also questioned the narrative that Hamilton’s difficulties are purely due to Ferrari’s different technical environment: “At the end of the day, a racing car is still a racing car: steering, throttle, brakes, downforce. The best at their peak know how to master it. The real question is: has Lewis passed his peak?”
Adding to the scrutiny, Eddie Irvine, former Ferrari driver and four-time Grand Prix winner, highlighted that Hamilton’s decision came too late: “The problem with Lewis is that he arrived a bit too old. Of course, he has won seven world titles, and there’s always a price to pay. But I think he reached Maranello too late to make a real impact.”
Irvine also emphasized the intrinsic difficulty of working with Ferrari: “British teams benefit from continuous cross-pollination between engineers and facilities, while Ferrari is isolated in Maranello. They have image and history, but they lack that cross-pollination which makes it easier to grow as a team.” Finally, he drew a comparison with Michael Schumacher: “When Michael arrived, he was seen as the absolute fastest. Around him, an entire team was built with Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. Hamilton has not had the same favorable conditions.”
On one hand, the Briton continues to assert his determination, but the numbers don’t lie: Charles Leclerc leads in the standings, in qualifying, and in races, while the British driver is still fully adapting to the SF-25. The question raised by Coulthard and Irvine remains open: does Lewis Hamilton still have the potential to return to the top, or has he truly passed his peak?
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