Lewis Hamilton is not having a spectacular season so far with Ferrari. The former champion was brought to Maranello this year with much fanfare, but after five rounds in the current championship, he holds a modest seventh place. After qualifying in Jeddah, Hamilton even stated that he needed a “brain transplant” to understand his car. Ralf Schumacher warns that if things continue this way, Hamilton may opt for early retirement.
Will Lewis Hamilton’s illustrious career end with a whimper? Just a few years ago, he was setting the standard in Formula 1 and collecting championship titles. However, since the introduction of the new regulations in 2022, the 40-year-old Brit has struggled with balance issues and a lack of speed compared to his rivals. His historic switch to Ferrari gave fans a glimmer of hope; with a new team and fresh motivation, he might finally challenge for the championship once more.
But the results have not materialized. Hamilton has rarely been able to compete with the front-runners—aside from a single sprint race win in Shanghai. After finishing seventh in the Saudi Arabian GP, he once again appeared defeated. Ralf Schumacher is concerned to see Hamilton losing his enjoyment of racing. The German doesn’t rule out the possibility that the celebrated Brit may soon choose early retirement.
‘He’s forty years old and rich enough’
“Lewis Hamilton just can’t manage the Ferrari,” said Ralf Schumacher in a Sky Sports podcast. “We talk a lot about Lando Norris, but for Hamilton it’s almost worse. You can see it—it’s really going downhill. If you no longer have the tools and you’re getting slower, then you lose everything.” The former Formula 1 driver explained the psychological toll such struggles can take on an experienced racer.
“If things continue like this, I wonder how long Hamilton will still find it enjoyable,” Schumacher continued. “At some point, you wake up and think: why am I doing this to myself? I’m not enjoying it anymore, I can’t muster the energy. I’m just in the team’s way.” According to him, there’s a real chance Hamilton might eventually say: “I don’t want this anymore, I just want to live my life.” After all, he’s forty years old and wealthy enough to never step into a Formula 1 car again. Still, Schumacher emphasized that there’s hope for Hamilton fans: “In China, he showed that if the circuit and the car suit him, he can still deliver his best,” the German concluded. “There’s still something to be won.”
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