It’s a tale as old as time in Formula 1: a decorated champion makes a blockbuster move to Ferrari, dreaming of bringing glory back to Maranello. For Lewis Hamilton, the dream is an unprecedented eighth world title.

But if you ask former F1 driver turned analyst Davide Valsecchi, that dream is quickly turning into a nightmare. He’s sounding the alarm bells on the entire Ferrari project, and his primary concern is the brutal reality of Hamilton’s performance against his new teammate.

Valsecchi doesn’t mince words. He believes Charles Leclerc has utterly “destroyed” the seven-time champion in their first season together. The raw numbers paint a grim picture for Hamilton, who finds himself a staggering 66 points adrift of Leclerc with just three races left on the calendar.

What was meant to be a triumphant new chapter has been anything but. Ferrari is winless, and while Leclerc has managed to drag his car onto the podium seven times, Hamilton has yet to even taste the champagne in Ferrari red. It’s a statistic that sends shivers down the spine of any Tifosi.

Is Lewis Hamilton Struggling at Ferrari?

For Valsecchi, the one shining light in an otherwise gloomy year for the Scuderia is Leclerc. “It seems to me that the only really positive thing about Ferrari this year is Leclerc,” he admitted in a recent interview. “I always thought that he lacked consistency to be at the top, but today the only thing that is rock solid is him, almost always ahead of his teammate.”

The intra-team battle is where the story gets really painful for Hamilton supporters. “In sporting terms, [Leclerc] destroyed him in qualifying and in the race,” Valsecchi stated, emphasizing the gravity of the situation by adding, “and his teammate has won seven world championships.”

It’s a stark assessment. Ferrari’s gamble on Hamilton wasn’t just about winning a few races; it was a long-term play, a commitment to build a championship-contending team around one of the sport’s greatest ever drivers. But Valsecchi sees this very strategy as a major flaw. “That’s exactly what worries me,” he confessed.

He points to Hamilton’s final years at Mercedes, where George Russell bested him in the standings two out of three times.”He comes to Ferrari, he’s a year older, and he’s been destroyed by Leclerc. If you say to me, ‘Next year we’re betting on Hamilton,’ I say, ‘Think again.'”

Can Ferrari Succeed in the 2026 F1 Regulations?

The concerns extend beyond the driver pairing. The 2026 regulation overhaul is meant to be a great reset, an opportunity for teams to leapfrog the competition. Cars will be lighter and smaller, active aerodynamics will make a return, and new power units running on fully sustainable fuel will change the game.

This is the moment Ferrari needs to get right. Yet, Valsecchi is deeply skeptical. He points to the instability within the team. “Halfway through the season, they wanted to sack Vasseur, then they renewed his contract, then they changed a lot of people,” he observed.

“Usually, when there is a change in regulations, the most stable team should be able to predict the future. At the moment, it doesn’t seem like the most stable team to me.”He’s not willing to bet on a Ferrari resurgence. “I hope they can work some magic in the winter, but I wouldn’t bet a lot of money on Ferrari being the strongest car next year.”

The Verdict on Leclerc vs. Hamilton

Even if Maranello pulls a rabbit out of the hat and builds a dominant car, Valsecchi has a clear favorite to lead the charge. He believes the new regulations will favor youth and adaptability. “I have a feeling that with the new regulations, the younger drivers will have an advantage in terms of adaptation.

Those who are older will suffer a little.”His conclusion is unwavering. “Hamilton has already struggled to adapt at Ferrari this year. If you ask me, I’m betting on Leclerc, no doubt about it.” The pressure is mounting.

After a disastrous double DNF in Brazil, Ferrari president John Elkann publicly urged his drivers to “focus on driving, talk less.” It was a rare and pointed criticism that did little to quell the sense of crisis. Both Hamilton and Leclerc took to social media to reaffirm their commitment, but the cracks are showing.

Final Thoughts

As the season draws to a close, the question hangs heavy in the air: did Ferrari make a monumental mistake? Has Hamilton’s quest for an eighth title led him down a dead-end road? For now, the evidence is piling up, and it suggests the Monegasque prince, not the British king, is the only true hope for redemption.

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