Lewis Hamilton ‘going to leave’ Ferrari as ‘risky’ statement made by ex-Red Bull driver

Lewis Hamilton has been tipped to ultimately walk away from Ferrari, which is “not a winning team”.

That prediction comes from Red Bull’s former Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari, who took a “risk” in making that claim, with Hamilton having suffered a mixed start to life as a Ferrari driver after his blockbuster move from Mercedes.

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Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

While Hamilton has already tasted victory in Ferrari colours, having won the China Sprint from pole, he has not yet finished a grand prix ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, while large deficits over one lap of six tenths and half a second in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively, triggered Hamilton to suggest that there is “no fix” and a “painful” season ahead of him.

That was one of several concerning, downbeat interviews given by Hamilton in recent weeks, and Alguersuari – who contested 46 grands prix between 2009-11 with Red Bull’s junior F1 team then known as Toro Rosso – fears this is heading towards Hamilton and Ferrari parting ways.

The seven-time World Champion is under contract at Ferrari until at least the end of 2026.

“I have the feeling that Hamilton, he’s going to leave,” Alguersuari claimed on ‘The After Lap Podcast’.

“I don’t know why I’m taking a risk by saying this.

“But I have the feeling that he’s like, his time has passed, that he’s already won a lot, that he’s already won everything and that he’s saying: ‘OK, I’ve gone to Ferrari to try and see what happens in 2026.'”

However, with Ferrari having not tasted F1 title glory since their 2008 Constructors’ Championship win – while Kimi Raikkonen is their most recent Drivers’ Champion in 2007 – Alguersuari gave a blunt assessment of Ferrari’s title credentials as Hamilton continues to chase a record eighth World Championship.

“Ferrari is not a winning team. A team is a team that wins races, but it is not a winning team. They have not won since 2008,” said Alguersuari.

“So they may have a competitive car, they may have a competitive team, but they don’t have a winning team. There is a difference.”

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With Hamilton having also hinted that patience is wearing thin with the Ferrari higher-ups over his performances, team principal Fred Vasseur moved to emphatically throw his continued support behind Hamilton.

This is a duo which goes way back, Hamilton having won his Formula 3 and GP2 titles under Vasseur as his team boss.

“I will be 2,000 per cent behind him,” Vasseur told the media, including PlanetF1.com, following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“I will give him support and we will start from tomorrow morning to try to find solutions and reasons and to work on it early in the morning.

“But honestly, I am not too worried.

“If you have a look on what he did in China or what he did in the race in Bahrain last week, or even on the first part of the session in this weekend, the potential is there for sure.

“We just have to adjust the balance because we are, collectively, Lewis and us, we are struggling with the balance of his car and [how] he is working the tyres.

“It’s a kind of negative spot but I think the potential of the car is there and we will try to solve that.”

Hamilton sits P7 in the Drivers’ Championship standings, 16 points and two positions behind Leclerc.