Ralf Schumacher on Lewis Hamilton: "Ferrari wants to see something for its money"

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton expressed disappointment after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix . He said he had "no answer" to the question about his current form, saw "no solution" to his ongoing problems, and didn't expect any improvement "for the rest of the year." But can a record-breaking Formula 1 champion simply write off a year?

Former Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher doesn't believe Hamilton's comments and says in the Sky podcast "Backstage Pit Lane" : "If he really gives up now, that would be very early. I can hardly believe it."

Schumacher, on the other hand, expects Hamilton to improve soon: "Expectations are high. I mean, Ferrari also wants to see value for money. That means Lewis has to make sure he delivers the performance—and he probably will."

The sprint victory at the Chinese Grand Prix is ​​proof that Hamilton fundamentally has the speed. "That wasn't a coincidence," says Schumacher. "It's not as if he can't do it. Lewis just needs to find the conditions and the car that suit him. And there will be racetracks that will suit him."

On the other hand, Hamilton cannot afford to simply wait, says Schumacher: "Of course, he also has to make his own developmental steps. He must not collapse and give up. But it takes time."

Has Hamilton already resigned?

Or is Hamilton already feeling resigned because the move to Ferrari hasn't paid off so far? Does Hamilton perhaps even regret leaving Mercedes now that George Russell is currently fourth in the World Championship after three podium finishes in five Grands Prix?

Ralf Schumacher says: "I don't think so. I think he was already looking for a challenge, and it was about time. Things weren't going particularly well at Mercedes either."

"But hey, when he sees the car today, he might think, 'I should have stayed a little longer.' But a decision like that is a gut decision. And he made it very early on. We mustn't forget that."

What might have bothered Hamilton about Mercedes

Schumacher also suspects there was already "a bit of chemistry" between Hamilton and Mercedes when Hamilton was still driving for the star brand. "I think it bothered him that Mercedes didn't want to do it [with him] for the long term anymore. It's also a question of age."

At 40 years old, Hamilton is one of the oldest Formula 1 drivers in the field. His successor, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, is just 18 years old – and only recently obtained his driver's license .

That's why Schumacher believes Hamilton was "a bit offended" by the "age issue" at Mercedes. This could also have been a reason for the move to Ferrari. "Lewis is a very emotional person. I think that's nice, and it's a credit to him," says Schumacher.

Hamilton is behind in the team duel with Leclerc

And so Hamilton's comments after Saudi Arabia may have been born out of initial emotion—after what he considered a poor performance, even compared to his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. The long-time Ferrari driver leads the team battle against newcomer Hamilton by a clear 4-1 in qualifying and 4-0 in the Grands Prix.

If Hamilton were to truly give up on the 2025 season, his standing within the team would not improve. "Then, of course, the team would focus entirely on Charles," explains Ralf Schumacher. "And that would mean that the car would continue to lean more in his direction. Because a team can't develop two cars individually at the same time. And that would make the course of events quite clear."