Lewis Hamilton "career-ending" nightmare? Experts predict major turnaround

The struggles of Lewis Hamilton have been largely unexpected in the first half of 2025.

He began the F1 season by swapping Mercedes for Ferrari, a union of the most successful driver and team ever.

But a sprint race win in China was a rare moment to smile about for Hamilton who has endured multiple problems.

From the tricky SF-25, to a fast teammate in Charles Leclerc, to his difficulties adapting to race engineer Riccardo Adami, Hamilton's work has been cut out.

But it's not time to write him off yet, Crash.net experts predict...

Lewis Larkam: This season has gone far worse for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari than I expected. It has definitely not been the fairytale we were hoping for.

The seven-time world champion’s adaptation struggles show no signs of stopping, and his confidence and self belief look drained.

Hamilton cut a despondent and dejected figure after his nightmare weekend in Hungary as he finished outside the points at one of his favourite circuits for the first time ever.

The excitement and energy that Hamilton had when he first arrived at Ferrari has been sapped out of him. I cannot remember a time Hamilton has been this low, and it is a concerning theme - and one that has not been an enjoyable story to cover.

There have been fleeting flashes of brilliance this year, but Hamilton has lacked consistency and been outperformed in both qualifying and on race day by teammate Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton appears to have no answer and looks lost. The summer break has come at the ideal time for the 40-year-old Briton to reset.

Based on Ferrari and Hamilton’s form, wins look unlikely, but there is still plenty of time for Hamilton to arrest his current performance woes and end the season on a positive note.

Hamilton has proven time and time again over his illustrious career that he shouldn’t be written off. Yes, he’s going through an incredibly tough patch, and possibly facing his biggest challenge yet, but if anyone can find a way to turn it around, Hamilton can.

Connor McDonagh: Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari F1 career has gone worse than I ever expected. At a minimum, I thought he would perform at a similar level to his predecessor, Carlos Sainz. Hamilton’s lack of race pace is the most worrying aspect of his Ferrari stint.

Before Spa, he had shown a step forward over one lap, out-qualifying Charles Leclerc three times in four races. But he continues to struggle over a race distance.

Hamilton seems void of confidence, and his off-track demeanour has been uncomfortable to watch at times. For the rest of the season, Hamilton should return to his pre-Belgium level of performance.

He will out-qualify Leclerc occasionally, but be consistently second best in the races. Scoring that elusive first podium for Ferrari is crucial for Hamilton in the coming rounds as he looks to stop the rot.

Derry Munikartono: When Lewis Hamilton signed for Ferrari, the hype was off the charts. Fans were dreaming, the media went into overdrive, and everyone expected big things. But half a season in, the fairytale hasn’t quite taken shape. Sure, there was that Chinese Sprint Race win — a nice little trophy for the shelf — but beyond that? It’s been underwhelming for the seven-time world champion.

At 40, Hamilton has seen almost everything Formula 1 can throw at him, but the last few weeks have been brutal. Belgium saw him dumped out in Q1 both times, and then came Hungary — a race he’s owned eight times — where he didn’t even score a point. Things got so bad, he admitted he felt “useless” and even hinted Ferrari might be better off looking elsewhere.

It’s not all on him, though. The SF-25 has been a tricky beast, with ride-height problems that forced Ferrari to roll out a new suspension in Spa. It worked wonders for Charles Leclerc, who grabbed a podium there and pole in Hungary. For Hamilton? The magic hasn’t kicked in yet.

Still, this feels like rock bottom, and from here the only way is up. Once he found his stride with the car’s new setup, a few podiums are definitely on the cards. But a win? That might have to wait. His first year in red could end without one — and that’s not the story anyone expected back in January.

Lewis Duncan: One of the great disappointments of this 2025 season has been the underwhelming form of Lewis Hamilton in that Ferrari. What went from being one of the most hotly anticipated moves in recent memory has quickly led to a scenario where the question is being asked about whether or not the seven-time champion’s time in F1 is coming to an end.

This season hasn’t been great, but it’s not been the career-ending disaster some paddock voices are claiming.

Hamilton has been in the points in every race bar one. He should be doing better than that, but at least he is banking decent points. Leclerc has generally been faster, but at the same time he should be given his experience of the car.

Ferrari, too - and Fred Vasseur in particular - have also continued to back Hamilton. Succeeding in this venture is a must, and Ferrari knows it has to do more to get the car to where Hamilton can let his talent take over.

There will almost certainly be opportunities for big results for Hamilton and Ferrari in the run in to the end of the season. And the summer break has come at the right time for both parties to really delve into what the big problem is.

If there is one driver you can back to dig themselves out of a hole, it’s Lewis Hamilton.

Rachit Thukral: This is a tricky one, especially after the way the Hungarian GP unfolded. While Hamilton has repeatedly shown the ability to rebound from setbacks, it’s also clear he is past his absolute peak and unlikely to recapture the same heroics as in his prime.

But is that a problem? Not really. Even a past-prime Hamilton is capable of fighting with the best and making a significant contribution to Ferrari in the final year of the current rules cycle.

Ferrari has a genuine shot at holding second in the championship, and Hamilton’s consistent scoring will be key to keeping Mercedes at bay. Several upcoming tracks should suit the SF-25, and a first podium with Ferrari would be a huge result for him.

The question mark is whether he can match Charles Leclerc’s pace, as the Monegasque has been absolutely sensational this season. Hamilton’s aim should be to close the year on a high and look ahead to next season, when reduced dependence on ground effects could spell an end to his troubles dating back to 2022.