New team, same result. Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited Ferrari debut ended with a 10th-place finish — an all-too-familiar position in recent seasons. For all the hype surrounding his move to the Prancing Horse, the Australian Grand Prix was a rude awakening for anyone expecting a Hamilton revival.
Max Verstappen infamously snatched a record-setting eighth title from him in Abu Dhabi years ago. Ever since, Hamilton has looked more interested in strutting fashion in the paddock than hunting wins on the track. He’s becoming the Tiger Woods of F1: the most popular guy on the circuit who everyone knows can’t win anymore. Sad.
Many hoped his switch to Ferrari would reignite his hunger, that he’d rise like a Phoenix and reclaim his throne. Instead, his race was all about fighting traffic, struggling for pace, blaming his race engineer, and getting outclassed by drivers in inferior cars.
Indeed, nothing betrayed Hamilton’s diminished skills more than Lando Norris winning this race in a McLaren, which is no better than the Mercedes Hamilton kept losing in. And it must be humbling for Hamilton to see Norris — who once idolized him — winning with the same McLaren team that engineered his first F1 championship back in 2008. Not to mention Verstappen turning dominance into a routine over the past few seasons.
There was a time when Hamilton’s name was synonymous with F1 podiums. Now? Every race weekend feels like a requiem for a legend who should’ve retired while his legacy was still intact. Ferrari was supposed to be the fairytale ending, the last dance at glory. Instead, it’s revving up to be a nightmare.
And if this is how the season started, the real question isn’t whether Hamilton can reclaim his place at the top. It’s how much longer he’ll keep trying before fading away like Sebastian Vettel. Remember him?