Concerns raised over Lewis Hamilton-Ferrari relationship with “separate ways” warning

Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has warned Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari might need to go their “separate ways” if their working relationship isn’t improved.

The Hamilton-Ferrari partnership hasn’t lived up to expectations in F1 2025.

Ferrari’s SF-25 challenger has been their weakest car of the ground effect era since 2022.

While Hamilton has struggled to acclimatise at Ferrari, failing to score a podium in his first 17 races of the season, he has made some progress since the summer break. 

But on the whole, it’s been a disappointing first season at Ferrari.

Ferrari’s poor season continued at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished eighth and ninth respectively.

Speaking on Sky Germany, Schumacher expressed concerns about how Hamilton and Ferrari “treat each other”.

It comes after Hamilton failed to give the place back to Leclerc on the final lap after being instructed to do so.

“The way they treat each other isn’t good. Then there’s Lewis’s criticism of the team. I’m sceptical of the combination,” Schumacher said. “And then there’s this failure to swap back with Leclerc before the finish line.

“Ferrari has to do its work internally, otherwise it’ll tear itself apart from within. A thunderstorm clears the air; that’s a thing of the past. We simply need to talk openly with each other. The limits and expectations need to be defined.

“If Lewis no longer has trust in the team, and vice versa, that would be a great shame. Because if mistrust develops, then it’s better to let it go and go our separate ways at the end of the year.”

Why did Ferrari use team orders? 

Ferrari split strategies with their two cars in Baku, with Leclerc starting on the mediums and Hamilton on the hards.

Leclerc stopped early on the mediums, while Hamilton did the opposite, benefitting from a long stint in clean air. 

It worked out in the seven-time world champion’s favour as Leclerc was stuck behind Liam Lawson.

As Hamilton chased down the train of cars ahead, led by Lawson, Leclerc let his teammate by immediately.

Ferrari planned to revert the positions on the final lap, but Hamilton responded too late on the run to the start-finish line. 

Given the pace difference between the pair, it was inevitable that Hamilton would have overtaken Leclerc without team orders, like Norris did earlier in the race. 

However, due the lowly positions of both cars, it wasn’t something that irked Leclerc after the race.

Leclerc said: “For a P8 or a P9 it’s not going to be a big talking point.

“I don’t really mind. Obviously, these are things that we agree on between us and the general rules of how we want to work whenever there’s a swap.

“It didn’t happen and that’s OK. It’s not like I would have been a lot happier being P8 so I don’t mind.”