“He Tried to Control Ferrari—and ”Failed”—Ex-F1 Driver Calls Out Lewis Hamilton’s Big Mistake

For nearly two decades, Lewis Hamilton has written his own rules in Formula One. From blistering debut laps in a McLaren to rewriting championship history with Mercedes, he’s never been just another driver—he’s been a force. A brand. A mentality.

But something’s changed.

And not in the way anyone expected.

Just six months into his highly anticipated move to Scuderia Ferrari, cracks have begun to show. Not in his driving—but in something deeper. Something structural. Political. Psychological.

And now, for the first time, one of Hamilton’s own has called him out. In a blistering interview, a former F1 driver and insider didn’t mince words:

“He tried to control Ferrari. And he failed.”

The comment has exploded across the paddock, triggering debate, denial, and speculation about what really went wrong in the most hyped transfer of the decade.

Because if this was supposed to be the final chapter in Hamilton’s legend, it’s already reading like a cautionary tale.

An Icon Meets the Immovable Object

The logic behind Hamilton’s move to Ferrari made sense. If anyone could restore glory to Maranello, it was him. His record speaks for itself: seven world championships, 103 Grand Prix wins, and a legacy that spans cultures, continents, and car generations.

But Ferrari isn’t like other teams.

It is history incarnate, a machine that has outlasted drivers, engineers, team principals—and even legends. Everyone wants to tame it. Most end up chewed up and forgotten.

Hamilton, however, wasn’t just looking to drive for Ferrari. He was looking to shape it.

According to several insiders, even before his first pre-season test in Fiorano, Hamilton began pushing for structural changes—from trackside communication to simulator workflow. He requested custom telemetry overlays, lobbied for specific engineers to join him from Brackley, and even proposed a revised development calendar for the 2025 chassis.

Ferrari, while respectful, pushed back.

One senior engineer described the atmosphere as “polite resistance.” Another was less diplomatic:

“He thought he could run Ferrari the way he ran Mercedes. But this place doesn’t bend.”

And that’s when the tension began.

The Comment That Set the Paddock on Fire

The quote that now defines the current drama came from Ralf Schumacher, speaking during a Sky Deutschland post-race analysis following the Canadian Grand Prix.

Asked about Hamilton’s lackluster performance in the new SF-25 and his growing distance from the team, Schumacher leaned into the camera and delivered the line that instantly lit up every motorsport headline:

“He tried to control Ferrari—and failed. That’s his big mistake. You don’t control Ferrari. You adapt to it—or you suffer.”

Within minutes, the quote was trending in Italy, the UK, and even Brazil. Former drivers weighed in. Fans argued over whether Ralf had crossed a line. But privately, several team insiders agreed.

According to leaked reports from a closed-door debrief after the Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton allegedly overruled his race engineer’s call to pit on Lap 34, insisting on staying out for track position. The result? He dropped from third to eighth after getting undercut by both McLarens and a rejuvenated Aston Martin.

Ferrari executives were reportedly furious.

But the real damage wasn’t to the standings.

It was Hamilton’s credibility inside the team.

Old Habits vs. New Culture

At Mercedes, Hamilton was more than a driver. He was a co-architect of the team’s golden era. His voice was not only heard—it was implemented. Strategy revolved around his instincts. Development followed his preferences. And he earned that level of control through dominance.

But Ferrari doesn’t work that way.

In Maranello, processes are protected. Decisions are top-down. And legacy matters more than individual brilliance. For a driver used to influence and creative control, it’s a culture shock.

“He expected Ferrari to change for him,” said a former Bridgestone advisor familiar with both Mercedes and Ferrari operations. “But Ferrari expects you to prove yourself and then earn your voice.”

So far, Hamilton’s results haven’t been enough.

With just one podium and a string of unforced errors, the perception is shifting. From savior to outsider. From leader to liability.

And in the cutthroat world of F1, perception is everything.

Leclerc: The Quiet Competitor Turned Silent Threat

When Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari, many assumed Charles Leclerc would be overshadowed—politically, emotionally, and performance-wise.

Instead, Leclerc has thrived.

He’s outqualified Hamilton in four of six races. He’s consistently outscored him in the championship standings. And perhaps most importantly, he’s done it without drama.

Leclerc hasn’t commented publicly on the power struggle. But his actions speak volumes. In internal meetings, he’s maintained alignment with Ferrari’s process-first approach. He doesn’t challenge strategy in real time. He works with the data, not against it.

And the engineers have noticed.

Sources inside the team say Leclerc is once again being viewed as the long-term future—while Hamilton is being treated as a temporary asset.

This is not what was promised when Lewis signed.

And he knows it.

At a tense post-race interview in Spain, Hamilton was asked about his communication with the team. His answer was short:

“We’re working on understanding each other. It’s a process.”

But those in the room said his tone wasn’t hopeful.

It was tired.

The Ferrari Myth Is Crushing Him—Like It Crushed Others

Hamilton is not the first world champion to arrive in Maranello with dreams of becoming the next Schumacher.

Fernando Alonso tried. Sebastian Vettel tried. Even Kimi Räikkönen, who did win a title with Ferrari, eventually lost his edge under the team’s relentless pressure and internal politics.

And now Hamilton faces the same shadow.

He’s fighting not just for podiums but for relevance. Every race that ends behind Leclerc, behind Verstappen, and behind Russell, the headlines get colder. The whispers grow louder.

Is this the end?

Has the greatest driver of the hybrid era lost more than just his pace?

Has he lost the power to change a team?

Because if Ferrari can’t be changed by Hamilton… it may never be changed by anyone.

So what happens next? Redemption or Retreat

There is still time.

The season is long. Ferrari’s updates may yet click. Hamilton may rediscover the rhythm that made him unstoppable. And if he does, the story can flip. The critics will fall silent. The redemption arc will write itself.

But right now, the storm is winning.

And the man once known for mastering every track, every team dynamic, every storyline—is starting to look like he’s running out of answers.

Ralf Schumacher’s words, while harsh, ring with a certain tragic truth. “He tried to control Ferrari—and failed.”

But the full sentence matters.

It was a mistake. Not a defeat.

Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Lewis Hamilton, it’s this:

When everyone starts counting him out…

That’s usually when the fight begins.