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F1 fans were fuming after former F1 driver and pundit Ralf Schumacher suggested that Lewis Hamilton could retire from the sport after a difficult start to his Ferrari campaign. The expectations surrounding British driver's move to the Italian team have slightly deluded owing to his struggles to adapt to the SF-25.
Although there have been some signs of progress in China and Bahrain, Hamilton has mostly presented a downbeat demeanor at the end of qualifying and races thus far. In the first five rounds, he spoke about some moments of understanding the car, but has largely been unable to get hold of the 2025 challenger, even terming it as an "alien."
The 40-year-old had arguably his toughest weekend in Jeddah last weekend, where he qualified and finished in P7, and was sliding around in the corners. Speaking on Sky Germany’s Backstage Pit Lane podcast, Ralf Schumacher suggested Lewis Hamilton might retire if he continued to slump in form, saying:
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“I know from my own experience: if it goes on like this, it’s no fun anymore. Then at some point, he wakes up in the morning and thinks to himself: ‘Why am I doing this to myself? I’m no longer having fun, I can’t do it anymore. I’m getting in the way of my team.’
“If it goes on like this, there’s a risk that at some point he’ll say: ‘Look, I don’t want this anymore. I want to live my life now, I’m 40 years old. I’m so rich, I’m not doing this to myself anymore. Obviously, it’s not working out for some reason,’" he said.
F1 fans gave their reactions to Ralf Schumacher's comments regarding Lewis Hamilton on X, with one fan claiming:
"I get it if someone eclipsed my brother's legacy I’d be bitter as well."
"Nobody takes Ralf Schumacher’s opinions seriously though."
"Who are these people asking Ralf for his opinion? What a waste of time," wrote a fan.
Here are some more reactions:
"Oh give it a rest ffs, pick on another driver there are 20," claimed a fan.
"What on earth will you do for clicks/likes etc when Lewis does finally retire - your whole modus operandi is based on inserting his name into everything & anything & dragging useless vindictive Ralf out from under his stone," questioned another.
"Hamilton wont accept defeat, I dont know how but I am sure he'll find a way and top his form again," mentioned another.
Lewis Hamilton has a 2+1 contract with Ferrari, which could see him racing for them until the end of the 2027 season, with no indication of stopping soon.
Former Ferrari driver gives an insight into working with Lewis Hamilton
Former Ferrari test driver Marc Gene stated that he believed that Lewis Hamilton was giving "important information" in the team briefings.
While appearing on the Beyond the Grid podcast, the Spanish driver reflected on Hamilton's impact and said:
"In the briefings, when he talks, you can really tell that he's really giving some very important information, and then he's very exceptional in tire management. I look at the telemetry, and you see some things that he's very exceptional."
Lewis Hamilton has scored 31 points from five races and one sprint so far in the 2025 season and will hope that the break between Saudi Arabia and Miami will give him time to reset his mindset before the European leg of the races.
