Lewis Hamilton is in ‘a tailspin’ as one big Ferrari issue sparked the seven-time F1 champion’s ‘useless’ admission

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Lewis Hamilton has hit the 2025 summer break in desperate need of a big reset, as his nightmare first season with Ferrari hit yet another low at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 40-year-old realised his childhood dream of driving for the pride of Italy this year. But it has been far from the season that Hamilton would have dreamt about before joining Ferrari. The seven-time champion is even now 14 rounds into the term and is still without a podium.

Hamilton also only sits sixth in the F1 drivers’ championship following the Hungarian GP last Sunday, when the Briton endured his worst finish as a Ferrari driver so far. He came home in just P12, marking the first time he has finished a Grand Prix for Ferrari outside of the points.

The only other time that the Stevenage-born star did not score a point in a Grand Prix came when Hamilton was disqualified from the Chinese GP in Ferrari’s first-ever double DSQ back in March. But unlike in Shanghai, where Hamilton qualified P5, he qualified P12 in Budapest.

Lewis Hamilton feels ‘useless’ helping Ferrari develop their car, rather than his driving ability

Hamilton called himself “useless” after qualifying P12 for the Hungarian GP, as well, and the Briton even suggested Ferrari “probably need to change driver” given his teammate Charles Leclerc took pole position. It was the Scuderia’s first Grand Prix pole for the 2025 F1 season.

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But Formula1.it reports that Hamilton’s comments were a result of the 105-time Grand Prix winner feeling ‘useless’ helping Ferrari develop their car. Hamilton did not want to question his driving ability after a disappointing result, but he does question his impact in Maranello.

The problems that Hamilton has had adapting to the SF-25 have left the 104-time polesitter in ‘a tailspin’ of despair and are ‘annihilating’ his confidence. Now, the Briton wonders if he can offer Ferrari enough to improve their car and to make them a winning team once more.

Ferrari have not won the F1 drivers’ championship since Kimi Raikkonen denied Hamilton in the Briton’s rookie campaign back in 2007. The Scuderia also last won the constructors’ title in 2008 when Hamilton won his first drivers’ championship while he was racing for McLaren.

Lewis Hamilton’s ‘useless’ admission at the Hungarian Grand Prix raised many questions

Hamilton will hope the summer break offers the 202-time podium finisher a chance to reset and return at the Dutch Grand Prix come August 29-31 ready to prove he is not “useless” on the track or to Ferrari, having created a raft of questions with his claims at the Hungarian GP.

Martin Brundle feels Hamilton’s “useless” admission was “better left unsaid”, having put the spotlight on the Briton even more so than qualifying P12 while Leclerc secured pole. His exit during Q2 marked the fourth time he has failed to get into Q3 through 14 rounds for Ferrari.

Additionally, Damon Hill told Hamilton “it’s tough to know when it’s time” to retire after the seven-time champion suggested that Ferrari should potentially consider replacing him. Also, Hamilton reminded Ralf Schumacher of when he decided to retire with his downbeat claims.

But the Stevenage-born star does not seem to be considering retiring, at least yet. Hamilton stated “I still love racing” after the Hungarian GP, although the 40-year-old did not build on why he beat himself up so much after qualifying P12 a week after qualifying P16 in Belgium.