Lewis Hamilton's crisis of confidence spoiling 'fairytale' at Ferrari

There have been no shortage of theories put forward to explain Lewis Hamilton's failure - and let's face it, that's what it is - at Ferrari this season.

Is the 40-year-old simply too old now to compete? Has pressure taken its toll? Has he been sneaking in one too many bowls of pasta back in Maranello?

It's really anyone's guess at this stage. So former Haas boss Guenther Steiner might as well have go.

The axed F1 boss believes he knows the main reason behind why the Brit's 'fairytale' has turned into the stuff of nightmares. Turns out it's all pretty simple, really.

"He's lost his self-confidence, Steiner told Web.de. "If you no longer believe in yourself, you can't perform.

"You just have to remember, when his move to Ferrari was announced, it was a huge hype - for me too.

"The seven-time world champion with the Scuderia? It sounded like a fairytale, and of course, he had high hopes for himself.

"But when reality doesn't live up to expectations, you lose confidence in yourself."

Hamilton's problems nothing new

There's no question that Hamilton looks like a shadow of his former self, but it's no use kidding ourselves, he has been out of sorts for some time now.

His final few seasons at Mercedes were miserable. He often cut a dejected figure on race weekends as he slowly came to terms with the fact that he was no longer the top dog in F1.

That's why he was so eager to savour his two victories last season - particularly the first at Silverstone - after spending so much time in the doldrums.

There was something almost magical about that weekend in front of his home fans. The spark, absent for so long, had undoubtedly returned if just for a fleeting moment.

No doubt buoyed by the prospect of a new challenge at Ferrari, he also offered a timely reminder of his capabilities with a stellar drive at the 2024 season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, storming from 16th up to P4 in his final round with the Silver Arrows.

He spoke of living out his childhood dream during his grand unveiling at the Prancing Horse. The excitement was palpable.

Who knew that would be the high point? Since then, it's been nothing short of a disaster. Even Hamilton acknowledges that.

No appearances on the podium to speak of in 14 grand prix outings tells its own story. Sure, some questionable team decisions and an underperforming car haven't helped.

But his own performances haven't been up to scratch either. 'Useless', was his own verdict following a poor qualifying session at the Hungarian GP.

He looks like a broken man these days. In truth, it's sad to see.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of his decline is that there doesn't even seem to be any anger behind his words. Just resignation.

Grounds for Hamilton optimism in 2026

Of course, it would be foolish to write the seven-time champion off. After all, he is arguably the greatest F1 driver in history.

Despite being tipped by some to break his contract early, Hamilton is already turning his attention towards ensuring he is in the best position to hit the ground running come 2026, when new engine regulations are set to shake up the sport.

While this year may be a write-off, perhaps the 105-time race winner will be able to take advantage of any readjustment issues encountered by his rivals next season. His experience may well be a key factor in that regard.

Pull that off, and Hamilton's finest hour may still be ahead of him.

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