Ralf Schumacher believes Lewis Hamilton has a “tendency to sit by and do nothing” as the ex-F1 driver dissected the Briton’s difficult first year at Ferrari.
Hamilton, 40, signed for Ferrari amid much fanfare after 12 years and six world titles at Mercedes, but has endured the worst year of his career to date.
Hamilton has not registered a podium finish in 21 grands prix, though he did win the sprint race in China back in March. At the last race in Brazil, Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc were forced to retire, with the Brit admitting that his debut campaign in red has been a “nightmare.”
One day after the race in Brazil, Ferrari chairman John Elkann implored both Hamilton and Leclerc to “talk less and focus on driving” – a statement which has drawn criticism from many pundits. However, ex-F1 driver Schumacher – brother of Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher – pulled no punches when asked about Hamilton’s performance and Elkann’s comments.
"With Lewis Hamilton, it's pretty clear – that's the most expensive personnel decision made at Ferrari in recent years,” Schumacher told Sky Sports Germany.
"But the performance is not good, and I think that [Elkann’s] statement was also directed as a warning to Hamilton. After all, he's had a tendency to sit by and do nothing this year. But he's just not good enough.
“I believe Ferrari expected more from it, and so did John Elkann. The name did boost the shares, but unfortunately, the results did not."
Elkann’s surprise comments came after Ferrari dropped to fourth in the constructors’ championship behind champions McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull. On the same weekend, Ferrari won the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Bahrain.
“Brazil was a huge disappointment,” said Elkann, a key player in persuading Hamilton to join Ferrari from Mercedes.
“If we look at the Formula 1 championship, we can say that our mechanics are winning the championship with their performance and everything they’ve done on the pit-stops. If we look at our engineers, there’s no doubt that the car has improved.
“If we look at the rest, it’s not up to par. And we certainly have drivers who it’s important that they focus on driving and talk less, because we still have important races ahead of us and it’s not impossible to get second place.”
Hamilton branded his Interlagos weekend as “disastrous” after last Sunday’s DNF. The Briton is eyeing improvement next year, when new regulations come into force.
“This [season] is a nightmare, and I’ve been living it for a while,” he said. “The flip between the dream of driving for this amazing team, and then the nightmare of results that we’ve had, the ups and downs, it is challenging.
“This weekend has been disastrous and disappointing for everyone. I am trying to keep my head above water and remain positive.”
Hamilton trails teammate Leclerc, who has registered seven podiums this year, by 66 points in the world championship. Hamilton’s contract length has not been disclosed, but is reported to be a three-year, or two-plus-one, deal. Talks over an extension have not yet begun. Leclerc has a deal with the Scuderia until 2029.
The next race is in Las Vegas on 20-22 November, with two rounds remaining after that. Hamilton has never gone a whole F1 season without a top-three finish.
