Schumacher: Ferrari and Hamilton must fix tensions or risk split

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Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has raised alarm bells over the uneasy partnership between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, urging both sides to improve their working relationship or face the prospect of going their “separate ways”.

Hamilton’s first season in red has been turbulent affair, marked by struggles with Ferrari’s underperforming SF-25 and moments of visible friction between driver and team.

The seven-time world champion has yet to score a podium in 2025, and Ferrari’s latest disappointment came in Baku, where Hamilton and Charles Leclerc trailed home eighth and ninth.

“The way they treat each other isn’t good”

Speaking on Sky Germany, Schumacher criticised the dynamic within the Scuderia and warned of the dangers of mistrust festering between Hamilton and the team.

“The way they treat each other isn’t good. Then there’s Lewis’s criticism of the team. I’m sceptical of the combination,” Schumacher said. “And then there’s this failure to swap back with Leclerc before the finish line.

“Ferrari has to do its work internally, otherwise it’ll tear itself apart from within. A thunderstorm clears the air; that’s a thing of the past. They simply need to talk openly with each other. The limits and expectations need to be defined.

“If Lewis no longer has trust in the team, and vice versa, that would be a great shame. Because if mistrust develops, then it’s better to let it go and go their separate ways at the end of the year.”

His comments followed the latest flashpoint in Azerbaijan, where Hamilton failed to respond to a team order asking him to hand back his position to Leclerc on the final lap.

After the race, the Briton claimed he acted too late, saying that he would apologise to Leclerc.

Villeneuve: Ferrari and Hamilton Are Amplifying Each Other’s Struggles

Schumacher’s fellow Sky pundit Jacques Villeneuve also weighed in, describing Ferrari’s recent form as “appalling” and warning of the amplified scrutiny brought by Hamilton’s stature.

“Normally, Ferrari always comes back from the summer break stronger, and it’s been appalling, the three races from the break,” the Canadian said.

“Ferrari are completely lost right now and obviously need some direction. Lewis is big there. They took a risk by going together because if the team doesn’t go well with the image that Lewis and the attention that Lewis brings to the team, it makes it even bigger.

“Whatever is good or whatever is bad is amplified by having Lewis there. When races go wrong, a season goes wrong, it looks worse than it is and vice versa.

“That’s what Lewis also brings to the table and that’s the gamble Ferrari took and Ferrari has the same effect on the driver. They just compound and double the effect.

“It’s always been like this with Ferraris. It’s either great or awful to a bigger extent. But when you put Lewis in it, this is even a bigger concept.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.