Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has been compared with Michael Schumacher’s return to the sport at the age of 41.
Hamilton decided to ditch the Mercedes outfit with whom he had developed a supremely successful partnership over 12 seasons, and joined Ferrari at the age of 40 to hunt for an unprecedented eighth world championship title.
However, Hamilton’s Ferrari career has not got off to a good start, with the Brit sat down in sixth in the drivers’ championship, 23 points behind new team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari brought back memories of another seven-time world champion in Michael Schumacher, who raced with the famous Scuderia between 1996-2006, winning five world titles with the Maranello outfit.
While Schumacher clearly had built up a special relationship with Ferrari, when he returned to the sport in 2010 having previously retired, Schumacher did so with Mercedes, racing alongside Nico Rosberg, who outperformed him in all three seasons they spent together.
Now, former Red Bull racer and Schumacher rival David Coulthard has said that Hamilton’s blockbuster transfer to Ferrari reminds him of the German legend’s return to the sport.
“I always felt that Lewis had developed a special relationship and loyalty with Mercedes, so I was totally confused when I heard about his move,” Coulthard told Bild.
“It was a bit like Michael returning to Formula 1 with Mercedes, even though he had built such a legacy at Ferrari. But ultimately, this is Lewis’s journey, his story, his book that he’s writing.”
Michael Schumacher pictured driving for Ferrari in 2002
Will Hamilton win an eighth world title?
Judging by the start of the 2025 season, an eighth world championship title is further away than ever for 40-year-old Hamilton.
Alongside Ferrari’s lack of pace to rivals McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton has also performed poorly, not yet picking up a grand prix podium when his team-mate has achieved three.
On top of this, Hamilton has only outqualified Leclerc on two occasions out of nine so far, with the seven-time world champion often adopting a rather downbeat attitude regarding his form in recent weeks.
Coulthard has suggested that, like Schumacher, Hamilton will be unable to claim what would be a record-breaking eighth championship.
“Maybe he’ll win a grand prix, maybe he’ll win a championship – or maybe not.” When asked to elaborate on whether he thinks Hamilton will win an eighth title with Ferrari, Coulthard said: “No, it doesn’t look like it.”
