Ferrari have failed to do the one thing Damon Hill said was essential to keep Lewis Hamilton happy

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Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future is the main topic of discussion at the start of F1’s summer break. And it’s all of the driver’s own making.

Hamilton’s results have been disappointing this season, particularly in the last two races. While he salvaged P7 at Spa after a Q1 exit, he failed to score points on a Sunday for the first time this season with a fairly dismal P12 in Hungary.

But Hamilton is under contract until the end of 2026, and his deal includes an option for a further year. That, combined with his stature in the sport, should have guarded against any significant uncertainty.

However, the seven-time world champion gave a remarkable interview after qualifying in Budapest suggesting that the team should replace him because he was ‘useless’. This may not be under active consideration, but Ralf Schumacher says Ferrari aren’t turning a ‘blind eye’ to Hamilton’s comments.

Damon Hill said Lewis Hamilton would leave Ferrari if the car wasn’t competitive

Damon Hill’s pre-season comments have taken on a new meaning in light of Hamilton’s meltdown at the Hungaroring. He laid out a scenario where the blockbuster move went wrong.

Hill confidently predicted that Hamilton would leave Ferrari if the car was ‘uncompetitive’. The Scuderia may be second in the constructors’, but they haven’t won a single race and have rarely looked like doing so.

• READ MORE: 2025 F1 driver contract lengths and wages including Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari salary

Indeed, one could argue that the SF-25 is actually the fourth-fastest car in F1. That’s why Max Verstappen and George Russell outrank Charles Leclerc and Hamilton in the standings, as well as the two McLarens.

If Red Bull and Mercedes had two elite-level drivers (Yuki Tsunoda has struggled and Kimi Antonelli is lacking in experience), Ferrari could easily be fourth. Hamilton hasn’t extracted the best from the car, but he was entitled to expect better.

“What certainly would make a difference is if Ferrari gave him a bad car,” Hill said back in January. “If that happened the fizz would go right out of it. It wouldn’t matter how much money they were paying him.

“If Lewis Hamilton was in an uncompetitive car he’d be out of that team faster than a scalded cat.”

F1 paddock insiders take surprising stance on Lewis Hamilton’s chances of eighth title

90% of Ferrari insiders disagreed with the signing of Hamilton, one former driver has alleged this week. Perhaps he wasn’t acquired for the right reasons.

Hamilton produced statistically the poorest season of his career in 2024 and, while Ferrari had already signed him by that point, there were warning signs from 2022 onwards.

The Englishman left Mercedes, where he’d formed the most successful partnership in F1 history, because he believed Ferrari could give him a better chance of winning an eighth title. It quickly became clear that this wouldn’t be possible in 2025, and now everything could hinge on the 2026 regulation changes.

Still, key F1 paddock insiders believe Hamilton can win another championship before he retires. They haven’t lost faith in the legendary driver despite his career low point, but it’s crucial that he truly gels with the new generation of cars.