Ferrari providing Hamilton with 'time' to accelerate.

      "Lewis is still developing a relationship with the team"

      By GMM

      15 March 2025 - 07:53

      Charles Leclerc could "push Lewis Hamilton into retirement" this year, warns former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher. Amid the pre-season excitement surrounding the seven-time world champion's move to Maranello, the 40-year-old Hamilton arrived in Melbourne clearly not matching his teammate's speed. He qualified in P8, just behind Leclerc.

      "The Italian media will become very restless after a while if Lewis doesn’t perform well enough," Schumacher cautioned in an interview with f1-insider.com. "Does he want to endure that? Thus, it is quite possible that Leclerc will push Hamilton into a well-deserved retirement."

      In earlier practice sessions in Melbourne, Hamilton was also trailing Leclerc, but team principal Frederic Vasseur remained confident. "I have absolutely no doubt that Lewis will perform, and soon," the Frenchman told Sky Italia. "Last year, Carlos finished P8 or P9 in FP1 and then went on to win the race.

      "Lewis is still forming a connection with the team. It’s not a lengthy process, but it is one we need to go through. We can’t expect too much at the start — we have long-term objectives. However, I remain very optimistic," Vasseur added.

      At Albert Park, Hamilton stated he was "adapting" his driving style to fit his new red car, which Vasseur affirmed: "The aim is not to push to the limit, but to understand how the team operates. I am not concerned and I have no doubt that Hamilton will soon regain all his speed. When joining a new team, you experience a transition period where you establish the groundwork, and that’s what we’ve accomplished in these past two months.

      "It requires time to get everything sorted."