Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner has cast doubt on Lewis Hamilton’s capacity to revitalise Ferrari, suggesting that Max Verstappen could be better suited for the task.
Hamilton relocated to Maranello in 2025 following a triumphant 12-year tenure with Mercedes, during which he secured six of his seven world championships.
After a difficult opening season with the Scuderia, the 41-year-old has exhibited signs of his former brilliance in 2026. He earned his first victory with the Italian team at the Barcelona Catalunya Grand Prix and is currently placed fourth in the drivers’ championship with three events left on the calendar.
However, recent race weekends have placed Ferrari’s internal dynamics under the microscope, following on-track incidents between Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Appearing on The Red Flags Podcast, the conversation shifted to the notion that Ferrari performs best when a dominant figure, such as Michael Schumacher, commands the squad.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Anadolu via Getty Images
“But is he the guy who can make the team win?” Steiner asked. “When strong drivers took over, they made it a success, but Fernando Alonso tried. Did he succeed? No. Do you think Lewis is the right guy to make this happen?”
Asked if Verstappen would fit that description better, Steiner replied: “You know how Max is. He wouldn’t stop. He’s relentless. That could be the solution.”
Podcast co-host Brian Muller added: “Well, they’re not getting Max anytime soon. So, what they have is Lewis, and if they’re not ready to drop things when you have a seven-time world champion who’s ready to make Ferrari great again, and you’re not ready to jump on that when it’s time, then you’ve got bigger problems.”
This line of thinking mirrors claims made earlier by Ralf Schumacher, who argued the Briton “never learned how to lead a team”.
“Hamilton never learned how to lead a team, not under Toto Wolff and not under Ron Dennis,” the former driver said during Sky Sports Germany’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast. “That was never his job anyway. He just had to get in the car and drive as fast as possible.”
“You can see that, and it’s made him quite egotistical as well.”
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