Photo of Lewis Hamilton posted to his Instagram profile @lewishamilton on Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo)
Lewis Hamilton shocked the motorsport world by announcing his move to Ferrari for the 2025 Formula One season after being with Mercedes for 12 years. So far, the season isn’t looking great for Lewis Hamilton— or Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton made his Formula One debut with McLaren in the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, finishing third on the podium behind his teammate Fernando Alonso. Throughout his rookie season, he fought for a World Drivers’ Championship title against rival Kimi Räikkönen in the Ferrari. After a hard-fought season, the title was awarded to Kimi Räikkönen. Hamilton remained with McLaren from 2007 to 2012, before making his switch to Mercedes in 2013. During his 12 years with Mercedes, he won six World Driver Championship titles. However, he lost out on a seventh during the 2021 season after a close battle with rival Max Verstappen in the Redbull.
Since Lewis Hamilton made his move to Ferrari, his performance has noticeably declined. But the real question is, is it the car or the driver?
When comparing statistics between the 2024 and 2025 season, the difference is striking. In the first half of the 2024 season, he had two podiums and two wins with 156 points in the World Drivers Championship. At this point in the 2025 season, he has zero wins and zero podiums with 113 points in the World Drivers Championship. When comparing stats more than just points, on average, Lewis Hamilton had better starts and finishes in the first half of the 2024 season compared to the first half of the 2025 season.
Hamilton himself is questioning whether he made the right move. In a recent post-race interview with Sky Sports, Hamilton said, “I’m just useless… it’s just a joke, terribly. It is what it is.” In other interviews, he has stated that he’s not happy with the car and is discouraged by his performance.
Fans’ reaction to his disappointment hasn’t gone unnoticed. After seeing his performance in the car so far this season, fans are also questioning his move to Ferrari. They are wondering about his ability to achieve another World Drivers Championship title.
He is out of contention for his eighth world title in the 2025 Formula One season. With new regulations coming for the cars in the 2026 season, many F1 fans are wondering what next season could look like. Does he have a shot at an eight world title before the end of his career?