Jean Alesi says Lewis Hamilton made a Ferrari statement that Michael Schumacher ‘would never’ have said

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When Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari during the winter break before the 2025 Formula 1 season, there would have been one driver on his mind that he would have been aiming to emulate.

Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver in Ferrari history, winning five consecutive drivers’ championships at the beginning of the 21st century.

The German was unstoppable between 2000 and 2004 before Fernando Alonso finally toppled him at Renault.

Lewis Hamilton hoped to arrive at the Scuderia and continue the seven-time world champion’s legacy.

It’s been nearly 20 years since Ferrari last won a drivers’ championship, when Kimi Raikkonen beat Hamilton and Alonso in 2007.

Hamilton admitted he didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of other champions who failed to win a title after moving to Maranello, but this season hasn’t filled many people with confidence that he can end that run.

However, his comments at the Hungarian Grand Prix after a difficult qualifying session, where he finished 12th, have raised concerns.

Hamilton admitted he still loved racing, but after telling Ferrari they should ‘change drivers’ after his poor performance, unsurprisingly, doubts have started to creep in.

Jean Alesi wasn’t happy with one thing the 40-year-old said during the race weekend, and believed you would never hear Schumacher or Hamilton’s Ayrton Senna repeating that assertion.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Michael Schumacher would have never told Ferrari to change drivers after Lewis Hamilton admission – Alesi

Alesi was speaking to Corriere della Sera about Hamilton, via Formula Passion, and explained: “I think Hamilton’s attitude demoralises those who work around him.

“Senna or Schumacher would never have said things like that. It seemed like an Italian comedy, [but] it became a horror film.

“Russell revealed the reason after observing Leclerc’s car on the track. A Ferrari that runs strong on Saturday and then doesn’t perform on Sunday is what most infuriates those who love the Prancing Horse.”

Hamilton’s lack of progress during the race would have been particularly frustrating for the seven-time world champion.

His teammate Charles Leclerc’s final stint was equally frustrating, as he went from looking like he was going to win his first race for the season, to missing out on the podium entirely.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1 legend Michael Schumacher from net worth to career stats

Fred Vasseur frustrated by question about Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix

Team principal Fred Vasseur is likely to back Hamilton completely after playing a key role in bringing him to Ferrari from Mercedes.

Hamilton has also been very vocal in his support for Vasseur when his position at Ferrari was questioned.

The Ferrari team boss has now signed a new deal, and there are no signs that Hamilton will walk away from the Scuderia before his initial two-year contract comes to an end.

Vasseur was angry with a question about Hamilton after Sunday’s race, when his value-for-money was put under the microscope by a journalist.

Even though Hamilton isn’t delivering the results that he or the team would like, his value to Ferrari goes far beyond what he does on the track.

However, that doesn’t mean that Ferrari might be slightly concerned by the messages he’s putting out into the public domain immediately after disappointing sessions.