Formula 1 News: F1 media tries to drum up excuses for Hamilton

(GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari dream has turned into a swirl of uncertainty and doubt, as pundits across Europe react to his brutal self-assessment after the Hungarian GP.

After describing himself as “useless” and urging Ferrari to “get another driver,” Hamilton admitted there’s “a lot going on in the background that’s not great.” The seven-time world champion’s public despair has since sparked a media storm in both Italy and Germany.

German outlet Sport1 even floated a conspiracy theory: that Ferrari quietly demoted Hamilton after he sent management internal ‘dossiers’ proposing team and car changes – instead backing Charles Leclerc, who took pole in Hungary.

But former F1 driver and commentator Marc Surer dismissed the idea. “What would Ferrari gain from this? They’d only hurt themselves,” he said. “Lewis must continue adapting to the car, just like Leclerc does.”

Others were less kind. Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone quipped: “The safety car is more likely to win a race than Hamilton will become world champion again.” Sky Deutschland’s Ralf Schumacher added: “You don’t have to drive in circles your whole life.”

But Franz Tost, the former F1 team boss and close to Michael Schumacher’s family, rejected comparisons with Schumacher’s 2010 comeback. “We’re talking about two completely different things. Michael had to get used to a new F1 system. Lewis didn’t.

“His problem is the car’s handling – not his age.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport compiled a chorus of reaction from Italian figures. Jarno Trulli called Hamilton “a mystery,” saying, “He’s disappointing in qualifying, a bit better in races, but never shining. This isn’t Hamilton.”

Former Ferrari driver Ivan Capelli believes Hamilton is “living a double life” – strong off-track, but lost in the car. “He’s lost the smile in his eyes,” Capelli said. “His strength was always leading the team through hard times. Now, even that is gone.”

Arturo Merzario, who raced for Ferrari in the 1970s, said the team never truly backed Hamilton. “Ninety percent of Ferrari insiders disagreed with the decision to sign him,” he claimed. “It was a commercial move. Lewis doesn’t feel valued, and that kills motivation.”

Sky Italia commentator and GT driver Vicky Piria added: “Lewis underestimated how hard it would be. He joined a team not built around him, with no established relationships. Now he’s in despair, not disinterest.”

Davide Valsecchi, 2012 GP2 champion, said Ferrari “won the winter” with the Hamilton signing, but warned the PR boost is now turning sour: “I would’ve signed a younger driver.”

Despite it all, many still believe Hamilton has more to give. Matteo Bobbi, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Giancarlo Minardi, and Emanuele Pirro all pointed to 2026’s regulation reset as a potential lifeline – and rejected age as the root cause.

“Lewis is still hungry,” said Pirro. “But he hasn’t found his comfort zone yet. He’s more sensitive than people think – and that showed in Hungary.”

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Ecclestone, 94, backed up the seven-time world champion’s comment about replacing him, but under one condition.

“Lewis is very talented, was and probably still is,” Ecclestone told the Daily Mail. “But like a lot of leading sports personalities, when they reach the top, there is only one way to go, and it’s not a good direction. It’s only down. They get tired. Lewis is tired. He’s been doing what he is doing forever.

“He needs a rest from it for good, a total reset to do something completely different. He may not think it, but he will soon get used to doing other stuff away from motor racing in retirement. I think he should have done it a while ago.

“The guy is not a cheat. But he would be cheating himself if he goes on. He should stop now. If I were looking after him, I would negotiate with Ferrari immediately and say, ‘If you have someone to replace Lewis, he’ll step aside.’”

Ecclestone continued: “If I were Lewis, I would say to Ferrari that I wanted to be paid all my contract, in full. They signed him because they thought he could do a job. ‘It isn’t working, so I can I can make way if you want me to, but that’s the arrangement.’ It could work for both parties.”