Lewis Hamilton has insisted that he is “not going to give up” at Ferrari despite a troubled start to the F1 2025 season. This statement comes against the backdrop of comments from Ralf Schumacher, the former Formula 1 driver, who suggested that the seven-time World Champion may consider retirement if his situation does not improve soon.
Hamilton has faced numerous challenges since his high-profile transfer from Mercedes over the winter. He has yet to finish higher than fifth in the first five races of the new season. The 40-year-old achieved a pole position and a sprint victory in the Chinese Grand Prix last month, yet he found himself disqualified from the main race due to excessive skid-block wear.
Since China, Hamilton has disclosed that Ferrari has had to run the car “higher than we would like,” signaling a worsening of his situation in recent weeks. Evaluating his performance, he has not qualified closer than 0.311 seconds to his teammate Charles Leclerc during the last three events held in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. The disparity in race performance became particularly glaring when Hamilton finished a staggering 30.969 seconds behind Leclerc in Jeddah last weekend.
Speaking to media representatives after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Hamilton characterized his “painful” situation as likely to endure throughout the year, with “no fix” in sight. His comments pointedly came just a day after admitting that both the team and his bosses “are not happy” with his current performances.
In an appealing moment during an event in London ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton urged his fans to maintain their faith in him, asserting that he has no intentions of leaving Ferrari or Formula 1 anytime soon. “Please keep your fingers crossed. I’m not going to give up. We’re going to keep getting better. Still we rise, right?” he remarked, showcasing his determination.
These remarks arrived shortly after Schumacher had raised the prospect of Hamilton potentially retiring at the end of this year, expressing concern about Hamilton’s ability to cope with the car’s current demands. Schumacher noted, “He just can’t cope with the car. You can see that he’s really slumped over. If you’re standing there at some point and have no more resources and are permanently slower, then you lose everything.” He emphasized the toll of such a situation, recalling his own experiences in racing, where persistent struggles can lead one to question their motivations and joy in the sport.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was largely influenced by the team’s chairman, John Elkann, who was keen on bringing the seasoned driver to Maranello for the 2025 season. Although the exact terms of the ‘multi-year’ contract Hamilton signed remains unspecified, it is believed that he is committed to Ferrari until at least the conclusion of the F1 2026 season, which will coincide with his 42nd birthday.
Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, has voiced unwavering support for Hamilton amidst his slow start. Sharing insights during media interactions, Vasseur emphasized, “I will be 2,000 per cent behind him. I will give him support.” He assured that they would work collaboratively to identify solutions to improve performance, dismissing notions that 2025 is likely to serve as a transitional year for Hamilton, who is adapting to Ferrari’s different systems following his long tenure at Mercedes.
“It’s not a transitional time,” Vasseur affirmed. “But for sure he’s down because when you finish the race in sixth and your teammate is on the podium. Honestly, I take it as positive that Lewis is down, because if he was happy with this, it wouldn’t be normal. He’s a racer, he’s a competitor. He wants to get the best from what he has, and for sure he’s disappointed.”
Given the impending Miami Grand Prix weekend, it holds critical importance for Hamilton to relieve some of the pressure weighing on his shoulders. The second sprint race of the F1 2025 season, consisting of just 19 laps compared to the 57 laps of the main race, may provide Ferrari with an opportunity to optimize their setup thanks to the lower fuel load.
In an exciting twist, Ferrari has confirmed plans to unveil a special one-off livery in Florida, with Hamilton and Leclerc expected to pull the covers off the new-look SF-25 car on Wednesday, potentially injecting some enthusiasm into their preparation for the race.
In the midst of this turbulent season, Hamilton’s determination and calls for perseverance resonate, even as uncertainty looms over the team’s future and performance. As the pressure builds and retirement rumors circulate, the focus now shifts to how Lewis Hamilton can regain his footing amidst the challenges at Ferrari. The next races will be pivotal in determining both Hamilton’s trajectory within the sport and Ferrari’s overall competitive landscape for the remainder of the season.
