To watch Lewis Hamilton’s post-race interviews these days is to feel almost as though you are witnessing a private moment of despair. The tone was set in Qatar, where—after qualifying a distant 18th—he was asked if he had a message for his supporters. Visibly drained, he declined to offer a rallying cry. “I don’t really have a message right now,” he said, staring at the floor before apologising and adding that he remained grateful for the loyalty of fans who had carried him through a bruising year.
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It is a striking image: a driver earning tens of millions, yet appearing utterly defeated. His long-anticipated move to Ferrari, something he had dreamed of since playing Formula One games as a child and idolising Michael Schumacher, has evolved into a nightmare. What once looked like a storybook union—the most successful driver of his era joining the sport’s most iconic team—has unravelled into a painful mismatch.
Hamilton arrived in Maranello last winter with all the excitement of a fresh start. But the early promise has faded. His first campaign in red has seen him fighting at the back of the field, his confidence dwindling with each passing race.
While many of his remarkable records remain untouched—105 race wins and 104 pole positions among them—the current season has offered only unwelcome milestones. In Las Vegas, he started a grand prix from the back for the first time in his career, the first Ferrari driver in 16 years to qualify slowest on merit. In Qatar, a brief attempt at humour about the “nice weather” evaporated quickly as he finished 17th in the sprint and 12th in the race.
The clearest measure of his decline lies in comparison with Charles Leclerc. Mechanical issues have played their part, but they do not explain everything. Leclerc has secured seven podiums this season, while Hamilton has yet to stand on the rostrum. In qualifying, the gap is stark: the Monegasque leads the head-to-head 18-5. It is a level of dominance Leclerc last displayed as a rookie at Sauber—except Hamilton is no rookie, but one of the sport’s legends.
At 40, the risk of being overshadowed by a younger team-mate was always present. Since the summer break, Leclerc has amassed 79 points to Hamilton’s 43. Hamilton has even been beaten over a full season by Carlos Sainz—now driving a Williams. Meanwhile, rivals such as Max Verstappen have made pointed comments about ageing in a sport where reaction times matter immensely. “You are not going to become faster at that age,” he observed.
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There are counter-examples, most notably Fernando Alonso, still competitive at 44. But Hamilton’s struggles have been noticeable for some time. Last year, he was frequently outpaced by George Russell at Mercedes. And as a Ferrari driver, he has not carried the aura of intimidation once associated with his name. His failure to pass Nico Hülkenberg at Silverstone—with a podium on the line at a track where he has dominated—was emblematic of his current difficulties.
His frustration has increasingly spilled over on the radio and in interviews. He has complained repeatedly about the car’s behaviour, but has also turned his criticism inward, at one point calling himself “absolutely useless”. His working relationship with race engineer Riccardo Adami has been strained, too—most memorably when he told him in Miami to “have a tea break” after a delay in communication. Even seasoned commentators, such as Martin Brundle, have admitted they “dread” hearing Hamilton’s debriefs, given their bleak tone.
Such a trajectory cannot continue indefinitely. If Hamilton does not rebound early next season—particularly with sweeping new regulations on the horizon—Ferrari chairman John Elkann may be forced into a difficult decision. Commercially, Hamilton remains a global superstar. But Formula One is governed by the stopwatch, and patience at the top level is notoriously short.
Hamilton still yearns for the eighth world title that slipped from his grasp in Abu Dhabi in 2021, following the controversial call by then-race director Michael Masi. That sense of unfinished business has kept him going. Yet four years is an age in Formula One, and the danger grows that a once-dominant champion could end his career adrift, lingering longer than the sport’s brutal rhythm allows. For now, Hamilton remains determined.
