'Rooting for him': Ralf Schumacher has spotted Lewis Hamilton making a ‘child’s mistake’ since joining Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has seven race weekends left to end his first season at Ferrari on a high.

Ferrari are once again going to finish a season without a championship, but all of their efforts need to go into making sure they’re the team to beat in 2026.

Whispers surrounding Ferrari’s efforts ahead of next season might concern Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, but until the car takes to the track during pre-season testing, nobody is sure what the pecking order will look like.

Hamilton still has time to turn this season around, with a 44-point deficit to Leclerc not impossible to overturn.

It’s going to be tough to beat his tally of five podium finishes, but he could make his first trip to the rostrum at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Both drivers have been critical of the SF-25, although Hamilton and Leclerc aren’t blameless for Ferrari’s issues either.

Leclerc put his car in the barriers in Baku, while Hamilton’s weekend at Spa was strewn with errors until a very impressive performance during Sunday’s race.

Ralf Schumacher has spotted what might be going wrong for Hamilton at Ferrari, and criticised one recent mistake that he feels a seven-time world champion shouldn’t be making.

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Ralf Schumacher says Lewis Hamilton made a ‘child’s mistake’ in Baku at unfamiliar Ferrari team

Schumacher was looking back at Hamilton’s first season at Ferrari on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast.

The former Jordan, Williams and Toyota driver explained: “I’ll say it again, he was fast, he wasn’t slow at all, he was about on the same level as Leclerc.

“They didn’t give each other much there. Accordingly, slowly but surely, a kick is coming. We also said that it could take six, seven or eight months.

“The Italians are just different. I think we noticed that when we were there visiting. Family and mutual support, one for all, and above all, the Ferrari brand is above everything else in this case. That’s just the way it is.

“And that’s something Lewis Hamilton may not have been so familiar with until now. That’s just the way it is.

“And accordingly, I’m rooting for him, yes, I’m definitely keeping my fingers crossed for him, because somehow, I’m happy for him. I’m also happy for him if he can pull it off, and he’s on the right track, but it’s a shame, of course, that he didn’t let his teammate through at the end because of a stupid place.

“I would say it’s a child’s mistake. And you just have to trust him, because next time, Charles might do the same thing. Why should he help him now? And that’s not okay, and it’s not fair.”

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Lewis Hamilton’s mood in the F1 paddock is ‘completely different’ since joining Ferrari

Schumacher’s podcast colleague Peter Hardenacke admitted that he’s spotted Hamilton’s demeanour in the F1 paddock change since joining Ferrari.

It’s unsurprising that a driver with more than 100 victories to his name isn’t as happy as he used to be during his dominant Mercedes days.

Joining Ferrari appears to be the dream end to Hamilton’s career, but when that journey comes to an end is yet to be seen.

Hamilton can trigger an extension in his Ferrari contract, which would see him stay with the team until the end of the 2027 season.

However, whether he would have the motivation to endure another season where he can’t win the championship if Ferrari don’t nail the new regulations is another matter.

That puts more pressure on team principal Fred Vasseur, who is now facing reports that Leclerc is exploring his options in the paddock beyond Ferrari.