Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari F1 woes have one easy solution - return to Mercedes

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F1 Analysis

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari woes have one easy solution - return to Mercedes

Should Hamilton have ever left Mercedes?

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 5 August 2025 11:45

I originally wrote that Lewis Hamilton had nothing to lose by moving to Ferrari when he first announced his F1 switch. Well...this could not have turned out to be more wrong.

In the past six months, Hamilton’s reputation has taken an abrupt dive, which in turn has led to internal self doubt that has only continued to spiral into gradually worsening performances for the seven-time world champion.

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Look, it's incredibly self-righteous of me to proclaim that the 40-year-old should not have moved to Ferrari. Only a year ago we were picturing Hamilton's F1 comeback under the twilight haze of the Abu Dhabi floodlights, with a trophy lifted exultingly. Redemption finally after 2021!

However, what once felt like a certainty of scarlet success is a now pained manifestation, a prayer that every time Hamilton steps into a Ferrari his old magic will spark into action as if awakening from a year long spell.

The reality is that the legacy of F1’s brightest star is fizzling in his final years. He's stayed beyond the final curtain, the encore was a let down and a few bum notes during his last performance are starting to overshadow a stellar career.

So, when I argue Hamilton should return to Mercedes, it's not to validate my own delusion that he could win an eighth world title. Rather, Hamilton deserves an environment where he feels comfortable and free from the unsustainable levels of scrutiny that come part and parcel with a Ferrari drive.

Should Hamilton return to Mercedes?

Admittedly, the logistics of a Mercedes return would be difficult – but not impossible – and Hamilton isn’t the type to admit defeat and throw in the towel early at Ferrari. Instead, he will wait for the regulation changes and invest in 2026, already playing an instrumental role in developing next year's car.

Theoretically speaking then, if the champion were to return to Mercedes, it would have to be in place of Kimi Antonelli. The Italian youngster is by no means a bad driver, rather someone who is on a sour run of form, and has shown impressive signs in the early part of the season.

If Hamilton were to return to Mercedes it could offer a brief reprieve for Antonelli, who would surely remain within the team’s reserve ranks while learning from the best the sport has ever seen, before returning to an F1 seat.

Plus, if Mercedes are competitive in a non-ground effect car in 2026 – a generation of cars that has been ill-suited to Hamilton’s driving style – the champion still may have the chance of winning races.

Of course, George Russell would be a major barrier to any kind of eighth world tile for Hamilton, with the Brit currently reaching the zenith of his career. But, even if Russell did beat Hamilton at Mercedes in a title winning car, it is an alternative preferable to a continued struggle at Ferrari.

Its not even Ferrari’s lack of pace that is the issue (well not entirely)! Nor are Hamilton’s performances in comparison to Leclerc. Hamilton's main problem is that every single lap in the SF-25, alongside every word uttered in an interview, has been subjected to levels of analysis only seen in scientific research labs!

The Italian media – in fact the global media in general – continue to ramp up unprecedented levels of expectation and scrutiny on the champion. Hamilton has become a victim of his own success, much like Max Verstappen, his storyline too enticing to ignore.

Lewis Hamilton should return to Mercedes

A return to Mercedes for Hamilton is about more than becoming an eight-time world champion. The team is a home for Hamilton, a place where he has shone and will be valued, returning to the comfort of lifelong bonds with the likes of Bono and Toto Wolff.

Most importantly of all, a Mercedes return would pull the brakes on a media and fan frenzy that is already spiralling out of control for Hamilton. The seven-time world champion should not retire, instead he should be afforded the same space to compete without his every move, word and performance being dissected - much like Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin!

However, the champion cannot have both. As long as he remains at Ferrari, everything Hamilton says and does will be under a microscope. At the Scuderia, Hamilton has little agency in shaping his F1 legacy. That pleasure will go entirely to the Italian media and the tifosi.

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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes