Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has stated that Lewis Hamilton is ‘simply not fast enough’ when compared to his teammate Charles Leclerc to warrant being favored by Ferrari. He added that if the Briton was blowing Leclerc out of the water, the conversation of who to favor would not even exist at the Italian team. “The problem is that he is simply not fast enough compared to Leclerc. If he were clearly better than his teammate, like my brother [Michael Schumacher] was back then, this discussion wouldn’t even exist. He is the one causing it,” Schumacher told Sky Sports Germany. This criticism from Schumacher comes despite the fact that Hamilton currently sits ahead of Leclerc in the 2026 drivers’ standings, albeit by just 12 points. Both drivers have claimed one victory each this year, while Hamilton has one more podium than his teammate, meaning the two are separated only marginally. The pair’s incident on the first lap of the Mexican GP in October, and a similar incident at the Italian GP in September, have ignited talks of whether Ferrari needs to favor one driver over the other going forward. Meanwhile, the Maranello-based outfit has not moved away from its decision to treat both drivers equally. Schumacher criticized Hamilton for his comments over the team radio following his incident with Leclerc at the Mexican GP, saying the 41-year-old should not be asking for a penalty for his own teammate. He also compared Hamilton to American gangster Al Capone due to his ‘we have big problems’ comments in Mexico City. “What I have a problem with is the drama that followed. You don’t demand a penalty for your teammate over the radio. “Then to speak like Al Capone and threaten that ‘we have big, big problems’. From my point of view, the dog is walking the owner,” Schumacher said at the time. Schumacher also added that something needs to change within the Ferrari dynamic. The team sits comfortably in second position in the constructors’ standings with 510 points to its name. Continuing his criticism of Hamilton, Schumacher also labeled the Englishman as ‘egotistical’. He claimed that Hamilton never learned how to lead a team at McLaren or Mercedes and was simply tasked with driving a car as fast as he could. “Hamilton never learned how to lead a team, not under Toto Wolff and not under Ron Dennis. That was never his job anyway. He just had to get in the car and drive as fast as possible. “I think you can see that, and I think it’s made him quite egotistical as well,” Schumacher said on the “Backstage Boxengasse” podcast. Schumacher compared Hamilton’s upbringing in F1 to that of Max Verstappen’s, saying that the Dutchman would likely struggle under Toto Wolff at Mercedes, as he would want to be involved in the technical side of things. The 50-year-old claimed that Verstappen would be a better fit for Ferrari, where he would have more room to give feedback. Max Verstappen Flaunts $328,000 Ultra-Rare ABT-Modified Audi During F1 Break Before Las Vegas GP Owner of a $3 Million Ferrari, Carlos Sainz Spotted Driving a $14,000 Fiat on the Streets of Monaco F1 Teams Net Worth 2026: Which Team Tops the Chart With $8.2 Billion? Kim Kardashian’s Israel Ties Draw Lewis Hamilton’s ‘Free Palestine’ Sincerity Under Scrutiny
Liked by Hannah Wilson, Sophie Lavoie
Liked by Hannah Wilson, Sophie Lavoie
Liked by Hannah Wilson, Sophie Lavoie
