Lewis Hamilton has made it clear that he is not about to walk away after a challenging start to his F1 life at Ferrari. With Charles Leclerc gaining the upper hand on the seven-time World Champion team-mate, an alarming gap over one lap has opened up. Former Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner is “more concerned” about what this situation is doing mentally to Formula 1’s most successful driver, expressing uncertainty about how Hamilton and Ferrari can navigate through these difficulties.
Despite securing a Sprint victory in China, Hamilton’s journey with Ferrari has been rocky. He has yet to finish ahead of his new team-mate Leclerc across the opening five grands prix. In the recent Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds, the difference was stark, with Hamilton more than half a second off Leclerc’s one-lap pace. Concerns grow as Hamilton himself has hinted at the challenges he faces, discussing a “painful” season ahead and suggesting that patience may be waning among Ferrari higher-ups.
In light of these struggles, six-time grand prix winner Ralf Schumacher teased that Hamilton might consider quitting at the end of F1 2025 if improvements do not materialize. However, Hamilton addressed these rumors directly during a recent appearance in London, reassuring fans with an encouraging message: “Please keep your fingers crossed. I’m not going to give up. We’re going to keep getting better. Still we rise, right?”
Steiner elaborated on Hamilton’s predicament during an appearance on the Red Flags podcast, noting that he is “more concerned” about how these challenges against Leclerc are affecting Hamilton mentally. He responded to the notion that Hamilton’s gap to Leclerc is a source of worry, stating: “It is slowly becoming a concern.”
He further reflected on Hamilton’s mindset, stating, “I’m more concerned about what he thinks about, you know, when he’s asking about where I lost time, and then ‘jeez,’ it’s like, yeah, the engineer can tell you where you’re losing the time, but for sure, he cannot make you understand why you’re losing it. That’s down to you.” Steiner added, “And the worst thing would be if Lewis is losing his confidence, because then it will be a backwards race. It is a concern, in my opinion.”
As things stand, Hamilton is currently positioned at P7 in the Drivers’ Championship, trailing Leclerc by two places and 16 points. The time for Lewis Hamilton to reclaim his dominance in the sport is ticking, and the mounting pressure may soon require urgent action. His mental fortitude and the team’s capability to respond effectively will be pivotal in determining whether he can turn the tide before it is too late.
