Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner has questioned whether Lewis Hamilton is the right driver to turn Ferrari’s fortunes around, suggesting Max Verstappen might be better suited to the role.
Steiner Questions Hamilton’s Leadership at Ferrari
Hamilton moved to Ferrari in 2025 following a successful 12-year period with Mercedes, where he secured six of his seven world championships. Following a difficult initial season with the Italian squad, the driver has displayed flashes of his previous performance, taking his first victory with the Maranello team at the Barcelona Catalunya Grand Prix and holding fourth place in the drivers’ standings with three rounds left.
However, recent race weekends have brought internal team dynamics under observation following on-track collisions between Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc. During an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast, conversation focused on a theory that Ferrari has achieved its greatest success when a dominant driver, such as Michael Schumacher, assumed control of the team.
“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?”
When questioned if Verstappen would be a better fit for that position, Steiner stated: “You know how Max is. He wouldn’t stop. He’s relentless. That could be the solution.”
Co-host Brian Muller responded to the point, noting: “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.”
Past Comments on Hamilton’s Leadership Style
The discussion follows a previous assertion by Ralf Schumacher that the British driver never learned how to guide a team. Speaking on Sky Sports Germany’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast, the former driver remarked that Hamilton never acquired those leadership skills under team principals Toto Wolff or Ron Dennis, noting that his task was simply to drive the car as quickly as possible.
The championship concludes its final three rounds of the season as Ferrari continues to navigate its intra-team dynamics and leadership approach.
