Lewis Hamilton given 'six-month' Ferrari deadline

Lewis Hamilton has been told by a former driver that he has ‘six months’ to perform at Ferrari before the Italian media turn against the Formula 1 champion.

The seven-time world champion’s arrival at Ferrari was met with significant fanfare, from a week-long Maranello debut to a live event in Milan which saw thousands of fans flock to glimpse Hamilton in red.

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Hamilton will be expected to return Ferrari to an era of championship glory, with the team winning their last drivers' title in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen.

Nevertheless, the 40-year-old appears revived by his move to Ferrari and claimed after pre-season testing he was more positive than ever, even suggesting he could continue racing into his 50s.

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The stage is set at Ferrari for a fairytale end to Hamilton’s career, with the Brit hoping to win a record-breaking eighth world title at the most iconic outfit on the grid, alongside the team boss he started to his racing career with in GP2 (now F2), Fred Vasseur.

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher is yet to be taken in by this narrative however, and claimed that if Hamilton failed to perform within the next ‘six months’ the now adoring Italian media would proceed to turn against him.

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"In contrast to Michael, Lewis is already in the autumn of his career,” Schumacher said to Sport1.

“The ravages of time are not spared by him either. This is particularly evident in qualifying, when the film runs particularly quickly.

“The first six months will be crucial. The emotional Italian press will not give Lewis and Ferrari any more time.

“If things don't go well by then, they will quickly give the thumbs down and the euphoria will turn into criticism."

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