Lewis Hamilton must avoid the same Ferrari fate which once left Kimi Raikkonen ‘very happy’ to leave them

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Lewis Hamilton’s time with Ferrari risks being viewed as the worst spell of his career unless he finds some speed soon.

The Briton’s winter switch from Mercedes was one of the most exciting events in recent Formula 1 history, and fans were desperate to get a glimpse of him in red.

But things couldn’t have unfolded much more unfortunately, as Hamilton’s arrival has coincided with a slight decline in Ferrari’s performance.

It means that he sits sixth in the drivers’ championship with 10 races in his maiden season with them to go. He needs to use every single lap to make slight tweaks for next year.

Ferrari have ‘experimented’ with Hamilton’s 2026 car and are going to test every possible avenue in a bid to give him a title-contending car.

Martin Brundle nailed his pre-season Hamilton prediction by saying that it would take time for him to warm to his new team. So far, that has been the exact case.

READ MORE: Karun Chandhok’s pre-season Ferrari warning could spell bad news for Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 F1 title hopes

Lewis Hamilton must avoid Ferrari fate which left Kimi Raikkonen ‘very happy’ to leave in 2009

Hamilton is now ‘leveraging’ Ferrari in a bid to have more control over his strategy at races. He wants to be able to decide his own fate.

If he continues to be behind teammate Charles Leclerc and cannot rediscover his winning form ahead of the 2026 F1 regulations, then the outlook is bleak for his future.

Contracted through the end of next year, he does have an option for 2027, but may not be inclined to take it up if he doesn’t have a competitive car or can’t find any form.

A poor car is part of the reason why Kimi Raikkonen was once ‘very happy’ to leave the Scuderia, which is a fate Hamilton must avoid.

“Absolutely nothing [I felt]. I was very happy to go. I’m sure I could have signed a contract, but it made no sense to me and I had absolutely zero interest to be here,” Raikkonen told the Beyond The Grid podcast in 2019.

“I was happy to go, I was very happy to go, with all the politics and nonsense and everything. Obviously I had a contract and they paid me out of it, but I could have signed another contract on different teams, but had no interest.”

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton ‘is aware’ of how key F1 paddock figures rate his chances of winning an eighth title

How does Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 season compare with Kimi Raikkonen’s 2009 Ferrari campaign so far?

In 14 races, Hamilton’s best result for Ferrari has been fourth place, achieved three times. In the first 14 races of 2009, Raikkonen managed five top-three finishes with a poor car.

In fact, it was a car that finished 10th or lower in each of the first three races on merit. Gradually, the Maranello-based outfit brought meaningful upgrades.

However, the upgrades on Hamilton’s car this year haven’t been as effective. In fact, he struggled more than ever at the Hungarian Grand Prix with their new rear suspension package.

Excluding sprints, Raikkonen had 90 points (on the modern scale) compared to Hamilton’s 95 after 14 races.

Their struggles have been similar, and if Raikkonen was pleased to leave, it can only be a matter of time before a lack of performance gets to Hamilton.