Ralf Schumacher is cautioning Lewis Hamilton against the high expectations at Ferrari. The seven-time world champion is making a historic transfer to the Scuderia in 2025, hoping to secure his much-coveted eighth world title there. However, according to Schumacher, the 39-year-old driver will need to perform immediately; he should not test the patience of the Italians.
Lewis Hamilton signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari in February. In a conversation with Sport1, Ralf Schumacher warned that there is a real chance that Hamilton may not be allowed to see out this partnership. “It becomes dangerous if everything turns out negatively,” said the German. “At the same time, I think that if Hamilton realizes that he is no longer meeting his own expectations, he will honestly admit it.” Schumacher also recalls the immense pressure from the Italian media. His brother Michael – and his teammates – were exposed to the whims of both the press and the tifosi for many years.
‘In Italy, Things Are Just a Bit Different’
“The expectations are high, and so are the emotions,” Schumacher explained. “If things don’t go well, you have at most six months. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton is not used to this external pressure. In Italy, things are just a bit different. Even during Michael’s time, they wanted to fire Jean Todt (then team manager) because the successes were taking too long. Michael managed to prevent that, and in the end, everything turned out fine. Unfortunately, I doubt that will happen with Hamilton.”
In recent months, Hamilton has already shown a lack of motivation. After three years without competitive results at Mercedes, he also began to doubt his own abilities. His speed in the qualifications particularly disappointed him. Schumacher wishes him a successful period at Ferrari, although he predicts little good. “Maybe he’s lucky and the car fits him perfectly,” he concluded. “Then everything could turn out very well. But I have my doubts.”
