“He’s just not good enough”

Lewis Hamilton’s difficult first season at Ferrari has drawn strong criticism from former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who accused the seven-time champion of “sitting by and doing nothing” this year. 2025 has been the most difficult campaign of his career.

Ferrari entered the year expecting Hamilton’s arrival to push the team forward after a promising 2024. Instead, he remains winless and without a podium in red, holding 148 points and sitting sixth in the standings. Charles Leclerc is only one place ahead in fifth, yet this is a down year by his standards, despite scoring seven podiums.

The team’s dip in form led to Ferrari chairman John Elkann’s headline-making comments after the São Paulo weekend. He publicly urged both of his drivers to “talk less” and focus on performing. While he did not name anyone directly, multiple outlets suggested that it was targeted at Hamilton.

Schumacher agreed, telling Sky Sports Germany that only one conclusion could be drawn from Elkann’s tone.

“With Lewis Hamilton, it’s pretty clear, that’s the most expensive personnel decision made at Ferrari in recent years. But the performance is not good, and I think that statement was also directed as a warning to Hamilton,” he said, via RN365.

Schumacher then made his harshest critique.

“After all, he’s had a tendency to sit by and do nothing this year… But he’s just not good enough. I believe Ferrari expected more from it, and so did John Elkann. The name did boost the shares, but unfortunately, the results did not.”

Schumacher’s claim contradicts multiple internal reports that Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly submitted detailed feedback documents to Ferrari engineers throughout the season. However, the comments have still added pressure to an already strained environment.

Elkann’s remarks drew widespread pushback around the paddock. Jenson Button responded with “Maybe John should lead by example.” Giancarlo Minardi also criticized the chairman for calling out two drivers in public rather than addressing issues internally. Jacques Villeneuve argued that Ferrari has a long history of “crushing drivers with personality,” saying that Elkann’s tone risked repeating that pattern.

Lewis Hamilton remains positive after double DNF at Sao Paolo: “I will not give up”

Lewis Hamilton had another frustrating weekend at Interlagos. He was out in Q2 and was caught in an early clash on Lap 1, when Carlos Sainz damaged his front wing. The Safety Car on Lap 2 allowed him to pit, but the damage left the car unstable for the rest of the race. He eventually retired on Lap 37.

Charles Leclerc’s race ended earlier on Lap 6. While fighting Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri for second place, he was hit by the Mercedes behind him, which broke his front-left suspension and forced him to retire. Both drivers reflected on the weekend after Elkann’s comments. Hamilton shared a carousel post on Instagram with a brief message:

“Brazil. Thank you for all the love, always. In the end, it wasn’t the race we wanted. It’s gutting… but we will move on. I back my team. I back myself. I will not give up. Not now, not then, not ever.”

Ferrari’s double DNF pushed the team from second to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. They now trail Mercedes by 36 points and Red Bull by four with only three races left.

Las Vegas, where Hamilton climbed from P10 to the podium last season, now becomes a key opportunity. A repeat result will not erase the year’s problems, but it would give the Briton at least one high point in a season that has been far from what Ferrari expected.