It has been an indifferent year for the 40-year-old Lewis Hamilton. His career has been filled with ultra highs, but at the moment, we could be witnessing the end of an unbelievable driver. Having had success with Mercedes for over ten years, could Hamilton be regretting his choice of moving to Ferrari?
Time with Mercedes
It is no understatement that Hamilton dominated Formula One with Mercedes. With 11 years with the German engineers, Hamilton racked up podium places after podium places; 153 in fact! Hamilton also saw so much joy with Mercedes by bagging six world Championships, and alongside Nico Rosberg, Mercedes were the team to knock off the perch.
Yet Hamilton decided it was time for a new challenge, and he left for Ferrari.
The move to Ferrari for the 2025 season
Hamilton stated it was a dream to drive for Ferrari, and the famous red is one that he wanted to drive for. Having had many years of rivalry with Sebastien Vettel, who was with Ferrari, raised some eyebrows with many Ferrari fans.
Yet Hamilton was keen for the move to reinvigorate his career in the sport as he approached his 40th birthday. He felt he needed to help revive Ferrari’s fortunes as the team has struggled since they last won a Championship in 2007 with Kimi Räikkönen. Hamilton is hell bent on Ferrari glory, and you can be assured his determination will continue until he has done it.
The season so far
The season has not panned out how Ferrari and Hamilton would have wanted, as they have been left frustrated in many Grand Prixs this season. With fans flooding to the Grand Prixs to see glory for Hamilton, they have been left disappointed with the continued domination from McLaren.
Admittedly, Ferrari does sit in 2nd place in the table, but Hamilton has not helped move Ferrari away from the chasing pack of Mercedes and Red Bull. Charles LeClerc, Hamilton’s teammate, has helped Ferrari more into 2nd place than Hamilton at times.
He’s had more struggles in qualifying and consistency than many expect for a driver of his calibre, with some races qualifying poorly, or mistakes, or car behaviour not suiting him at certain circuits.
The most striking issue for Hamilton is the lack of podium finishes for a driver as good as he is. It is clear the car he is driving is not the right one for him as he has not found a win in it let alone a podium finish.
Despite the struggles, Hamilton has shown real glimpses of his former self and that he is still capable in Formula One; otherwise, he would not still be in the top six drivers in the sport. There have been here and there moments for the British driver and in particular, he was excellent in the China sprint race, showing he might still be able to perform to the highest expectations he puts on himself
With big Grand Prixs still to come in the calendar and Grand Prix tickets available for the remaining ones, there is still a major chance for Hamilton and an opportunity for fans to witness history as Hamilton seeks that podium place.
Does Hamilton regret his move?
As it stands, he has not publicly stated it was a mistake to move, and after his first season, he is unlikely to say so as well. However, at 40 years old, there might not be long left in the Hamilton story, and he will want to be successful with Ferrari before he retires.
Although Hamilton might not say it, many onlookers may think he made a bad call moving to the Italian giants. There is quite clearly frustration with how this season has gone for Hamilton, and one he can not hide away from. There are gaps between the expectations Ferrari (and Hamilton) set and the reality he has faced so far. For a driver used to winning consistently, being outside podium positions or in mid-pack in some races must be frustrating.
Only time will tell, but certainly next season will be huge for Hamilton, and he needs to pick up at least one podium finish to even think about any success under Ferrari.
What can happen for Hamilton to enjoy success?
With a dream move complete but a nightmare season, it is not in the nature of Lewis Hamilton to leave in this manner. He will look for solutions, and he will be considering how he and his team can improve for the 2026 season.
The fundamentals of it are simple, car development is so important as Ferrari needs to bridge that gap. Consistency from Hamilton as he must minimise the mistakes he is currently making, the team mindset with Nico Rosberg, and finally, it is results, get the podium finishes or the regular top five finishes, and it can easily become Championship form.
2025 might be coming to a close for Hamilton in his debut season with Ferrari but it is shaping 2026 into an even bigger season for the Brit.
