Hamilton facing 'big problem' at Ferrari – Schumacher

Dec.16 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton could soon be facing a “big problem” in his Formula 1 career, according to former grand prix winner Ralf Schumacher.

Schumacher admits both the seven time world champion and Ferrari are “two legendary names”, noting that the Italian marque’s share price “soared” when their collaboration from 2025 was announced.

“But the deal also carries a big risk if it doesn’t work out,” the German told Sport1.

“In my opinion, it would be a big problem if Lewis doesn’t have a similar driving style to his new teammate Charles Leclerc,” he added. “We’ve seen what that means at Mercedes, where George Russell was faster.”

Schumacher, a six-time F1 race winner, thinks Hamilton’s advancing age is part of the problem.

“A young driver has more capacity and understands better how to adapt to a car,” said the 49-year-old. “And a young driver can work better with an engineer.

“Also, the cars are heavier and slower to drive than when he was successful. There is less mechanical grip. This means that you have to change your driving style, especially in the braking zones. And that is exactly where Lewis lost time to Russell.”

Schumacher thinks Hamilton might fare reasonably alongside Leclerc in the races, where experience counts, “but I fear he will lose a few tenths in qualifying again”.

“I also think Leclerc is better when it comes to car setup. He is also particularly good in terms of tyre management.”

Both Hamilton and Schumacher’s brother each have seven titles, but Ralf thinks Michael was better than Hamilton in several areas. “The biggest difference, among many, is that Michael was able to work with the engineers to develop a car that was perfect for his driving style.

“Lewis has never been able to do that, if you listen carefully to what the Mercedes engineers say,” said Schumacher. “That makes things even more difficult for Lewis, because Leclerc is the top dog. For Lewis, everything at Ferrari is new.

“Michael also came to Ferrari as the current world champion and was much younger. Neither of these is the case for Lewis.”

Hamilton, 39, made headlines in Qatar recently when he admitted he is no longer as fast as he once was. “I think that came from the heart and was genuine,” said Ralf. “I admire his honesty.”

Schumacher thinks it’s even possible Hamilton will quit Formula 1 before the initial two-year fixed term of his new contract. “The danger is there if everything goes badly.

“I think that if Lewis realises that he is no longer living up to his own expectations, he will say so. And the Italian press will not have patience for more than six months if things aren’t going well. He’s not used to that kind of pressure from the outside.

“Even in Michael’s time, they wanted to fire Jean Todt when success was taking too long. Michael prevented that but I doubt that will happen with Lewis.

“Maybe he’ll be lucky and the car will suit him. But I have my doubts.”