Hamilton’s Ferrari Gamble Draws Schumacher Comparison as c… read more
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton shocked the motorsport world when he announced his departure from Mercedes after a 12-year partnership that yielded six world titles. His high-profile switch to Ferrari for the 2025 season was widely seen as a bold attempt to secure an unprecedented eighth world championship. However, the transition has not gone according to plan, prompting comparisons with another F1 legend—Michael Schumacher—and sparking doubts over Hamilton’s future prospects.
Hamilton, now 40, has endured a difficult start to his Ferrari tenure. After nine races, he sits sixth in the drivers’ championship standings, trailing his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc by 23 points. While Leclerc has climbed the podium three times already this season, Hamilton is still chasing his first top-three finish. To make matters worse, the British driver has only managed to outqualify Leclerc twice, and his performances have often been accompanied by a visibly downbeat demeanor.
The slow start has brought inevitable parallels with Michael Schumacher’s return to F1 in 2010. Schumacher, after previously retiring in 2006 as a five-time Ferrari champion and a seven-time world champion overall, made a surprise comeback with Mercedes. Although the move was met with excitement, it ultimately proved underwhelming. Schumacher was outperformed by his younger teammate Nico Rosberg during all three seasons they raced together, and he never came close to recapturing his former glory.
Now, former Red Bull driver and long-time Schumacher rival David Coulthard has drawn a direct comparison between the two legends. Speaking to Bild, Coulthard expressed his surprise at Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes, where he had forged a dominant era, to join Ferrari at this late stage of his career.
“I always felt that Lewis had developed a special relationship and loyalty with Mercedes, so I was totally confused when I heard about his move,” Coulthard said. “It was a bit like Michael returning to Formula 1 with Mercedes, even though he had built such a legacy at Ferrari. But ultimately, this is Lewis’s journey, his story, his book that he’s writing.”
The question on everyone’s mind is whether Hamilton can still achieve what no other driver has done: win an eighth world title. Based on current form and Ferrari’s performance relative to rivals McLaren and Mercedes, the answer seems increasingly pessimistic. Ferrari have struggled for consistent pace, and Hamilton himself has not been able to extract the maximum from the car.
While Hamilton’s switch was intended as a bold new chapter in his storied career, it now risks mirroring Schumacher’s second stint in F1—one marked by frustration, rather than triumph. Coulthard believes that an eighth title for Hamilton is unlikely, and he did not sugarcoat his view when pressed for a more definitive answer.
“Maybe he’ll win a grand prix, maybe he’ll win a championship — or maybe not,” Coulthard said bluntly. “No, it doesn’t look like it.”
As the season progresses, Hamilton will be under increasing pressure to prove his doubters wrong. A podium finish would at least offer a glimmer of hope that his Ferrari adventure can bear fruit. But with Leclerc currently outperforming him and the Scuderia seemingly trailing their rivals, the dream of an eighth crown looks more distant than ever.
For Hamilton, this chapter is about more than just statistics. It is about legacy, risk-taking, and the relentless pursuit of greatness. But as things stand, even the most loyal fans may have to confront the possibility that his most historic achievement might remain forever just out of reach.
