Ralf Schumacher predicts early breakup for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton's much-hyped switch to Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season has yet to deliver, after a string of underwhelming performances in his first five outings. As doubts begin to creep in about Hamilton's tenure at Scuderia, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has publicly voiced the possibility of an early exit for the seven-time world champion.

Hamilton's move to Ferrari was billed as a historic partnership, but apart from a sprint race win in China, Hamilton has not yet managed a Grand Prix podium finish. His best result has been a fifth-place finish in Bahrain, while teammate Charles Leclerc has consistently outperformed him and found a podium finish at Jeddah.

The differences in their qualifying pace and race-day consistency have been stark, painting a tough picture for Hamilton's adaptation phase. Speaking on Sky Germany's Backstage Pit Lane podcast, Schumacher cited Hamilton's visible struggles and diminishing enthusiasm on track and said (via Planet F1):

"He just can’t cope with the car. We talk a lot about Lando Norris, but it's almost worse with him. You can see that he's really slumped over. If you are standing there at some point and have no more resources and are permanently slower, then you lose everything."

Lewis Hamilton's 2025 performances with inconsistent qualifying and team radio frustrations lend possible credence to Schumacher's observations.

The British driver began with a 10th-place finish in Australia on his Ferrari debut and won the Chinese Sprint after starting at pole. However, things took a turn at the Chinese Grand Prix as he was disqualified for breaching Article 4.1 of the technical weight regulations. Hamilton has struggled since with one top-five finish in the next four races.

Lewis Hamilton at Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Source: Getty

Ralf argued that the former champion is used to operating at the top end of the grid, and has been unable to cope with both the Ferrari SF-25 machinery and being consistently beaten by his teammate. He likened Hamilton's current situation to his own career experiences, noting how the constant setbacks eventually erode a driver's passion.

"I know from my own experience, if it goes on like this, it’s no fun anymore... There is a risk that at some point he will say, 'Look, I don't want this anymore. I want to live my life now, I'm 40 years old," Ralf said (via Planet F1)

Adding to this, Schumacher warned that Hamilton might soon reach a point where he might prefer to retire. Despite these grim predictions, Hamilton showed resilience during a recent fan event. Talking to fans, he said (via Cars with HNK on YouTube):

"Please keep your fingers crossed, I am not gonna give up. I am gonna keep getting better. So, thank you all so much, appreciate it."

Hamilton will next be seen in action at the Miami GP from May 2-4.

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Experts weigh in as doubts grow over Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari future

Lewis Hamilton before the Saudi Grand Prix. Source: Getty

Ralf Schumacher's concerns were not isolated. Expanding further on Lewis Hamilton's situation, Schumacher stated that while the Hamilton-Ferrari project was launched with lofty ambitions, the Briton currently lags significantly behind Charles Leclerc. The latter has found a podium finish in the Saudi Arabian GP and is yet to finish behind Hamilton.

Jaime Alguersuari, a former Toro Rosso driver, echoed Schumacher's sentiments in The After Lap podcast. He speculated that the former champion might already be contemplating an exit (via GP Blog):

"I have the feeling that Hamilton, he's going to leave... I have the feeling that his time has passed, that he's already won a lot, that he's already won everything. Ferrari is not a winning team. It's a team that wins races, but it is not a winning team."

Alguersuari’s comments offer a broader perspective that Hamilton's project with Ferrari was never about instant success, but about building toward the new regulations in 2026.

It remains to be seen if Lewis Hamilton takes that approach as the season unfolds, with Formula 1 returning for the Miami Grand Prix.