Former F1 driver feels Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari stint is turning into a 'tragedy' amidst 'inappropriate comments' 

Former Formula 1 driver and pundit Ralf Schumacher feels Ferrari ace Lewis Hamilton's association with the Italian team is turning into a 'tragedy' after the new suspension package did not yield suitable results for the Brit in Spa last weekend. Ferrari introduced an upgraded suspension package for their SF-25 to address rear instability and ride height issues.

However, the seven-time F1 world champion had a largely underwhelming weekend. He failed to get out of the first part of qualifying in SQ1 and Q1, but managed to score points in the main race after starting from the pit lane.

The Brit was critical of the new upgraded car as he believed it did not improve performance, contrary to his teammate Charles Leclerc's comments and results. Speaking on the Backstage Pitlane podcast, Schumacher reflected on Lewis Hamilton's 'inappropriate comments' and said:

“Lewis just finds it harder to cope with changes; he’s simply more sensitive in that regard. Perhaps this new rear axle at Ferrari also unintentionally suits Leclerc’s driving style better. We’ll have to wait and see in the next few races." “It’s a bit of a tragedy and Hamilton sometimes makes inappropriate comments. Then to deliver a weekend like the one at Spa is, of course, unfortunate. But I would give him a little more time,” he added.

Leclerc continued to react more positively to the new suspension on the SF-25, as he was the best of the rest in P3 behind the McLaren duo in Hungary Free Practice sessions as well, while Hamilton struggled more comparatively.

Lewis Hamilton reflects on his Free Practice sessions in Hungary

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton stated that it was a difficult day for him around the iconic Hungaroring circuit, despite finishing P5 and P6 in the FP1 and FP2 sessions, respectively, at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Speaking with F1.com, the 40-year-old reflected on his Friday and said:

“Today was not a good day for me, a big, big struggle with the balance of the car and a lot different to the previous years I’ve been here. We tried two different things, we tried rectifying some of the balance problems we had in FP1." "We changed the car for FP2 and it’s just inconsistent, very, very inconsistent balance from corner to corner. But I think it’s probably something to do with maybe tyre temperatures or something, so we’re going to try to figure that out for tomorrow," he added.

The Hungaroring circuit is arguably Lewis Hamilton's strongest track in his career, given that he has taken eight race wins and nine pole positions over the years. If he fails to beat his teammate around Budapest, it would be a big jolt to his confidence for the remainder of the 2025 season.

Edited by Samya Majumdar