Brabham’s warning shot: Hamilton’s Ferrari gamble is starting to sting
Lewis Hamilton arrived at Zandvoort with a smile and the usual calm, but the picture tells a story: a Ferrari crest slightly scuffed, and a seven-time champion searching for a clean way to land the final act of a storied career.
That image fits the mood around Ferrari and Hamilton right now, and it’s not just fans whispering about endings. David Brabham — ex-F1, Le Mans stalwart and part of racing royalty — has voiced what plenty in the paddock have pondered for months: is Hamilton risking a legacy fade?
Speaking to RacingNews365, Brabham didn’t sugarcoat it. In his view, Hamilton probably should’ve stepped away “a couple of years ago,” and he worries the sport’s most successful driver could be remembered more for a flat final chapter than the decades of brilliance that came before it. He’s not rooting for that outcome; quite the opposite. He hopes Hamilton pulls off the Ferrari turnaround. But the warning is clear: the longer the struggle, the louder the doubts.
The arc isn’t in dispute. Since that infamous Abu Dhabi 2021 decider, Hamilton hasn’t had a title shot. A choppy 2024 with Mercedes gave way to the big red gamble for 2025, joining Charles Leclerc at Ferrari. The fairytale hasn’t arrived — not yet. He’s still waiting on a first podium in scarlet, his early-season form wobbly enough to fuel rumours he might not even continue after the summer break. He did, and to his credit, returned sharper, closer to Leclerc’s pace and much more himself. But the scoreboard remains thin.
Baku summed it up. Leclerc’s Q3 crash left Ferrari on the back foot, Hamilton started 12th, and both slunk home out of contention — eighth and ninth, nothing more. Afterward, Hamilton didn’t dance around the problems. McLaren, he said, has been a step ahead all year. Red Bull’s latest floor upgrade seemed to kick them forward again. Ferrari? Short on gains, long on headaches.
He was frank about the path forward too: better Saturdays to avoid long Sundays, cleaner execution, fewer unforced errors. As for upgrades, he didn’t hide the desire — “I’d give anything for an upgrade” — but accepted the team’s focus is already drifting to the next car. That’s not the kind of line you want to hear at Maranello in September, but it’s honest, and honesty is often a hallmark of champions at this stage of their careers.
There’s a wider point here about what legacy really means. Hamilton’s is not particularly fragile; you don’t erase years of domination, pole records and peerless racecraft because of a couple of lean seasons. The risk, though, is perception. In Formula 1, the last impression can stick — especially if it’s painted in Ferrari red and framed by unmet expectations. Brabham’s “twisted and tainted” fear sits right in that space. People remember the ending. They always do.
But there’s still time to change the tone. Hamilton knew exactly what he was signing up for: heavyweight pressure, a team addicted to its own history, and the tallest task in the sport — dragging Ferrari back to the top while McLaren and Red Bull trade blows up front. He came for that. He still talks like he believes it’s possible. And a single breakout weekend in red would change a lot: the noise, the mood, the narrative arc.
Short term, it’s simple stuff. Ferrari needs stable weekends, not drama. Qualify inside the top six, keep both cars pointing the right way, cash every strategy chip. Zandvoort can be brutal if you’re out of position; it rewards rhythm and punishes chaos. If Ferrari nails the basics, the car’s underlying pace should be enough to keep Hamilton in the fight for proper points. If not, expect another round of uncomfortable questions and fresh scrutiny over whether 2025 becomes a holding pattern for 2026.
Hamilton’s not alone in this. Leclerc’s peaks have been visible but fleeting, and the team’s development cadence has lagged while rivals keep bolting on meaningful items. The contrast is stark: McLaren looks like a machine; Red Bull, even after its mid-cycle wobbles, finds lap time when it matters. Ferrari, right now, too often finds excuses.
Brabham’s worry will sting because it’s delivered from the vantage point of someone who knows how quickly reputations can be reframed by a difficult final chapter. But it cuts both ways. If Hamilton and Ferrari crack the code — even just enough to snag a podium or a win before the lights go out on 2025 — the ending suddenly reads very differently.
The legacy question isn’t settled at Zandvoort, or even by the end of this season. It will be decided by whether Hamilton’s Ferrari bet yields something tangible, something he can point to and say: that was worth it. Until then, the clock ticks, the car flickers, and the greatest driver of his era keeps swinging.
