Ralf Schumacher shuts down Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes rumours after Hungarian GP

Ralf Schumacher has dismissed speculation of Lewis Hamilton returning to Mercedes

Ralf Schumacher

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Ralf Schumacher has discussed recent rumours suggesting that seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton could return to his former team, Mercedes.

Speculation of a return to the Brackley outfit surfaced during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend when the British driver struggled with performance, finishing 12th after qualifying in the same position.

Hamilton told the media following qualifying that he was “useless” and that Ferrari might consider a new driver. But it was meetings between Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur and executive chairman John Elkann at the Hungaroring which led to the rumours.

Schumacher discussed the rumours during the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, explaining why he doesn’t believe this would be a possibility for Hamilton.

“No, I can’t imagine that. Lewis is 40 and has certain expectations. First, the financial expectations are high. And second — how long can he still do this? How long will he want to? I think his level is still good, but whether it’s as good as it used to be – nobody really knows.

“And when I look at this year’s rookies – [Oliver] Bearman is doing a great job, [Isack] Hadjar is doing a great job, [Kimi] Antonelli too when things click – and we’ve already talked about [Gabriel] Bortoleto. That’s four drivers you could realistically consider. And others like Alex Dunne and Arvid Lindblad are coming up in Red Bull’s system. So if anything, I think the young guys will get a chance to establish themselves.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

“I would bet on the future. I’d be hated for this, but if I were a team boss, I’d go for a young driver with potential. Someone you can shape, someone adaptable. Because I know from my own experience, the older you get, the more set in your ways you become.

“And for a racing driver, that means needing a specific car setup to be fast. You’re less flexible, less able to adapt to what you’ve got. Then you start fiddling with settings… and that point comes for every driver. The only question is: How far along is Lewis already?”

Hamilton has not personally suggested a return to his former team, and he reiterated his commitment to Ferrari ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.