F1 News: Lewis Hamilton labelled a $40million mistake after Ferrari horror show

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton labelled a $40million mistake after Ferrari horror show

Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari career has been bleak for the F1 champion

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 5 August 2025 08:27 Updated: 21:37

Lewis Hamilton’s signing with Ferrari has been labelled a huge mistake after his horror show first half of the 2025 F1 season.

The seven-time world champion could not have signed off for the summer break under worse circumstances, after a disappointing weekend at the Hungarian GP.

Hamilton once again made an early exit in qualifying, while his team-mate Charles Leclerc put the SF-25 on pole, and the champion was unable to recover to the points finishing P12.

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Speaking to the media across the Hungarian GP weekend, Hamilton was clearly disturbed by his performance, making sweeping statements where he described himself as ‘useless’ or that Ferrari should hire another driver.

The international press have similarly reacted with disappointment towards Hamilton’s first half of the season, with German publication Sport.de describing his Ferrari switch as a ‘$40million mistake’.

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Hamilton's first moments in red where met with intense fanfare, but his career on track had failed to align with the pre-season hype, with the champion yet to stand on the podium with Ferrari.

“A misunderstanding in red or a $40 million mistake - that's Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari,” Felix Gorner wrote for the German publication.

“He's now at zero hour, the lowest point of his time with the Italians. Having failed to qualify for Q3 for the second consecutive time, he's languishing in 12th place in a car that his team-mate could put on pole position.

"These are blows to the neck that Lewis Hamilton has never suffered before in his entire Formula 1 career.”

The report also addressed Hamilton advocating for his own sacking, and stated there would not be a mid-season axe for the champion nor would he decide to leave of his own accord.

However, they continued that if Hamilton endured a similarly miserable second-half of the season, he could decide to retire from F1 for the 2026 season.

It is unlikely Hamilton would make such a severe decision, especially with the new regulations offering a clean slate for the champion at Ferrari; but after the Hungarian GP the 40-year-old appears to be a driver in crisis.

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Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Hungarian GP