Former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher has called out Lewis Hamilton for his behavior toward Ferrari, highlighting that the seven-time world champion criticizes his team extensively, which “doesn’t help anyone.”
Hamilton has been facing a tough challenge at Ferrari since his move in January this year. His bombshell onboarding at Maranello might have been a great marketing exercise, but it likely multiplied people’s expectations of him. His sprint race victory in the second round in China added to heightened expectations.
However, Hamilton still had the job of adapting to a new car and a new team, which takes time and effort. But the challenges in doing so have resulted in unfavorable sporting results, often leading to frustration on his part. While his teammate, Charles Leclerc, secured five podium finishes thus far, Hamilton has yet to finish in the top three.
Hamilton is also attempting to make changes within his team, especially to the way it has been moving forward with the development of the 2026 car. However, tense radio exchanges on Grand Prix weekends with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, have often highlighted the dissatisfaction in his tone.
The 40-year-old driver is facing challenges with his SF-25 F1 car, given the reported lack of rear stability. Among all 14 race weekends thus far, the most recent one in Hungary made headlines, as Hamilton secured P12 in qualifying after getting knocked out in Q2. The result led him to call himself “useless.” He even went to the extent of saying Ferrari should change the driver.
His statements attracted criticism from many F1 personalities. Unfortunately, finishing the race in the same position the next day didn’t improve his morale in any way. Schumacher, who raced for Jordan, Williams, and Toyota from 1997 to 2007, called out Hamilton for being dramatic and for criticizing Ferrari. He told BILD:
“I said before the season that this could go wrong. Currently, I see a lot of drama from him. He’s been slamming the team, criticizing internally, arguing with the car—that doesn’t help anyone.”
Schumacher boldly stated that Hamilton is either too old to race now or cannot cope anymore, but stressed that he won’t leave Ferrari mid-season in case the situation deteriorates further. Admitting that the SF-25 is more suited to Leclerc, the former driver added:
“The car suits Leclerc, not him. Maybe he’s too old to adapt. Or he just can’t cope.
“I think the decision for Leclerc was made long ago. But I don’t think he’ll quit during the season.”
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