Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari: hero or fiasco? By leaving Mercedes F1 to join the Scuderia next year, the Briton has in any case taken a big risk. It remains to be seen whether it will be profitable.
At Mercedes F1 this year, Lewis Hamilton suffered against George Russell: he was beaten in points and even more in qualifying. The seven-time world champion even admitted, in a burst of helplessness quickly denied, that he was not “maybe not as fast…”
Facing Charles Leclerc, could Lewis Hamilton also suffer greatly? This is one of the fears of Ralf Schumacher, who questions Lewis' ability to adapt to a brand new car.
“Project 677 [nom de code du développement de la Ferrari de l’an prochain] will obviously not match his driving style and will leave him lagging behind Leclerc” Ralf Schumacher already fears for Lewis Hamilton.
“Two legendary names are going to come together, that’s for sure. »
“You've already seen how Ferrari shares soared when Lewis' move to Ferrari was announced, but this deal also carries a huge risk if it doesn't work out. »
“In my eyes, the risk is very high if Lewis does not have a similar driving style to that of his new teammate Charles Leclerc. We have seen what this means at Mercedes. George Russell was faster than Hamilton. One thing is clear: Ferrari will not be able to build two different cars. No team can do that. »
For Ralf, at Mercedes F1, George Russell was able to take advantage of his… lack of experience against Lewis Hamilton. The same thing could therefore risk happening again against Charles Leclerc.
“A young driver has more ability and knows better how to adapt to a car. He better understands the limits of a car. It should be understood this way: a car gives you feedback on its limits. A young driver can work better with an engineer. »
“A driver as experienced and successful as Lewis was successful with cars built to different rules that coincidentally matched his driving style. Today's cars are heavier and slower to drive. There is less mechanical adhesion. »
Michael Schumacher's brother delivers a detailed and interesting analysis of the different driving styles in F1, perhaps partly explaining Lewis Hamilton's difficulties.
“That means you have to change your driving style, especially in the braking zones – and that's where Lewis was losing time to Russell. Especially in qualifying, you could often see that Lewis didn't know exactly how to brake. This is why he often had difficulty reaching the apex point. He was used to braking extremely late, which was no longer possible with the Mercedes. But he's not the only one who needs a stable front axle. Max Verstappen also needs it, but he is also capable of dealing with an unstable rear. »
Due to his respectable age, Lewis Hamilton and his 40 springs will risk suffering even more in qualifying than in the race, estimates Ralf Schumacher.
“I fear that Lewis will lose a few more tenths in qualifying. »
“I also think Leclerc is better at tuning a car. He is also particularly good at tire management. »
Michael Schumacher better than Lewis Hamilton?
In short, Lewis Hamilton has many disadvantages in summarizing all these comments! We will therefore not be surprised to hear Ralf say that his brother is indeed the better of the two seven-time world champions…
“The biggest difference, among many, is that Michael was able to work with the engineers to develop a car perfectly suited to his driving style. Lewis was never able to do that, if you listen carefully to what Mercedes engineers say. »
“This complicates things even more for Lewis, because Leclerc is the natural leader at Ferrari. For Lewis, everything is new at Ferrari. Michael also arrived at Ferrari as the reigning world champion and was much younger. None of this is the case for Lewis. »
When Lewis Hamilton admitted that he was no longer fast, Ralf agreed with him…
“I think it came from the heart and was sincere,” Ralf said.
“I admire his honesty. »
“There is danger if everything goes wrong. »
“I think if Lewis realizes that he is no longer living up to his own expectations, he will say so. And the Italian press will not be patient for more than six months if things do not go well. He's not used to this kind of external pressure. Even in Michael's time, they wanted to fire Jean Todt when success took too long. Michael prevented that, but I doubt that would happen with Lewis. Maybe he'll get lucky and the car will suit him. But I have doubts. »
Jordan advises Lewis to give up driving!
Ralf Schumacher's comments finally join those of Eddie Jordan, who as usual, did not have his tongue in his pocket. He even advises Lewis to give up on his new adventure fairly quickly…
“If you don’t believe in it 100%, you’re screwed. And the moment I heard Lewis admit he's not fast enough anymore, if I were Ferrari I'd say: close the book, find a way out. It's over. »
“A little message for you, Lewis: always remember in life, you have your music, your fashion, all sorts of other things. You are, according to most people, the greatest pilot of all time. Remember what I'm going to tell you. Always, always think about the best exit. And it's time to take the money on the table. Leave. »
“You are an incredible ambassador. We absolutely adore you. But don't put yourself in a position where people think less of you because you're making time at Ferrari. That's all I'll say. »
