Lewis Hamilton’s first half-season at Ferrari has spiralled into crisis, with seasoned observers convinced the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion may not see out his contract.
Speaking on the Two Soft Compounds podcast (listen to it below), veteran radio man and host Rick Houghton, GrandPrix247 Editor-in-Chief Paul Velasco, plus F1 journalist and commentator Damien Reid pulled no punches in their assessment of Hamilton’s crisis of confidence at Ferrari.
Speculation about Hamilton's future ramped up massively after his "absolutely useless" and Ferrari should replace him with a faster driver comments during arguably his worst weekend in Formula 1, performance-wise and demeanour-wise, last time out in Hungary.
Hamilton even parted with a cryptic "maybe I will be back" after the summer break. Prompting questions in Italian media: Does he mean he may be back to his grand self? Or maybe he will be back for the Dutch Grand Prix later this month?
Houghton drew on history to underline a pattern in Hamilton's behaviour over the years: “2011 stands out, when he sacked his father as his manager and had personal problems behind the scenes. That year we saw the sulky Hamilton, even though he was young and competitive.
"He’s used to having the best toys in the playpen, and when he doesn’t get his own way, he spits the dummy. Him saying ‘I’m useless, replace me’ is a massive statement for any sportsman to make," added Houghton.
Very simply, we’re seeing a broken man
What are Hamilton's options as he contemplates his future after the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend?
- Get over his crisis, try to beat Leclerc more often and remain with Ferrari. See how 2026 pans out and then make a call.
- Does not return from his current holiday and walks away Niki Lauda style.
- Quits at the end of this season.
Regarding Hamilton's state of mind, Reid was blunt: “Very simply, we’re seeing a broken man. This is the first time he’s driving a car that hasn’t been built around him. At McLaren he was Ron’s baby, at Mercedes, it was his car. Now he’s had to adapt to what is essentially Leclerc’s car.”
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, Reid argued, was not about racing. “Both Ferrari and Lewis came together for the wrong reason. Lewis came for the golden handshake, the ambassador role, to be a Ferrari driver. Ferrari signed him because their shares went up 40%. It had nothing to do with on track, and now it’s backfiring.”
If Lewis were quicker than Charles, there would be no problem
Velasco observed that the decline has been building. “George beat Lewis last year, big time. Lewis' decline has been happening for a couple of years. Everything would be fine at Ferrari if Lewis were quicker than Charles. That’s the only difference.
“When the car and circumstances were good, Lewis won the China Sprint. That showed what he’s capable of. But the margins are tiny now. Ferrari can be second one weekend and fourth the next. If this carries on for another two or three more races, I think he’ll do a Niki Lauda and walk away," predicts Velasco.
Hamilton’s demeanour has raised alarm. His downbeat admission in Hungary that he was “absolutely useless” shocked observers. It's not the first time F1 fans have seen Lewis in this type of 'victim' pain. But notably, the self-disparagement is new.
Velasco recalled: “It felt like he was seeking reassurance. These guys are emotionally childish because they never grew up in a 'normal' environment, and have been pampered since their talents were discovered. They are wired differently. A sports psychologist wouldn’t hurt.”
We saw it with Schumacher
The trio also drew parallels with other fading champions. Reid recalled: “We saw it with Schumacher at Mercedes. He came back for the wrong reason, and it was flat. That’s exactly what Lewis is doing. He’s always wanted to drive for Ferrari, but he’s 40 now and losing tenths in qualifying that drop him from row two to row six.”
Hamilton’s struggles are compounded by Ferrari’s working culture, suggests Houghton: “At Mercedes, he was the superstar, telling engineers how he wanted the car set up. Ferrari don’t work like that. They’ll do what they think is right, not what the driver wants, and it shows in their strategy.
“If he keeps carrying on and moaning about being replaced, Ferrari could decide the experiment’s over. Carlos Sainz has put his hand up to return, and Ollie Bearman is waiting in the wings. Ferrari should focus on Charles and put a young guy in there," suggested Houghton.
Looking ahead, Velasco went further, arguing Ferrari must think beyond Hamilton and even Leclerc. “Drivers who reshaped Ferrari were Lauda and Schumacher. Leclerc hasn’t done that. The only driver who could is Max Verstappen. Ferrari should put 250 million on the table and build the team around him.”
What next for Hamilton and Ferrari?
It was noted that Italian media, normally ruthless, have so far been restrained with Hamilton, instead targeting team boss Fred Vasseur. But patience will not last forever.
Velasco’s conclusion was stark: “Three or four more races like this and he walks, just like Niki [Lauda] did. If not, maybe he waits until the end of the season. But I see choppy water. Honestly, I don’t think Lewis will survive this season.”
Tapping into wisdom from a lifetime of following the good, the bad and the ugly of motorsport, Reid added a reality check: “I just hope he retires on his terms and not through injury or something worse. The one thing I’d like is for him to walk away with ten fingers and toes.”
Whatever the case, the ball is in Hamilton's court. He holds all the cards and gets to play them first. It is his call to make, history to write as he contemplates how he will end the sport's greatest career.
Only he can decide to stick it out with Ferrari to try to reignite his legend or walk away. Whenever he wants. That's the status of Sir Lewis Hamilton in modern Formula 1.
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