Lewis Hamilton in his old Mercedes - Source: Pixabay
For Lewis Hamilton, the Ferrari fairytale has twisted into a saga of frustration. The seven-time world champion was supposed to be heading to Maranello on the hunt for a record-breaking eighth crown, to claim the outright record for himself with one final championship, taking him clear of the legendary Michael Schumacher with Schumi's former team no less. But the racing gods are known for their fickle nature, and never has that been more abundant than in LH44's maiden campaign with the Scuderia.
For the first time in his 18-year career, Hamilton hasn't picked up a single podium so far this term, with a series of disappointments leading the British great to label himself as "useless" at one point during the season. But perhaps even more damning is the fact that the 40-year-old has been consistently outgunned by his irrepressible teammate Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc the Dominant Force at Ferrari
The points gap is glaring: Hamilton languishes sixth in the drivers' standings, already 64 adrift of a Monegasque superstar who has seven podiums under his belt, including two in the last two races.
Now, Hamilton finds himself at the center of headlines, and not the championship-winning ones he is used to. Could Ferrari’s patience snap? If the rumors are to be believed, the answer to that question is a definitive yes. Even online betting sites are acutely aware that Leclerc now seems to be the main man... if he wasn't all along.
Ahead of the recent Brazilian grand prix, the popular Bovada betting site listed Leclerc as a 9/2 shot to finish on the podium as opposed to Hamilton's 5/1. The same was the case in the race winner market, with the younger man a 33/1 shot for the win next to his veteran teammate's 40/1.
But Formula 1 is not an arena that rewards sentiment or past greatness. Hamilton’s struggles shine a floodlight on a truth every driver faces: the grid has little time for legends whose star appears to fade. The paddock’s history, after all, is littered with shock dismissals—no name too big, no service too loyal. Here are four of the sport’s most cold-blooded axings, each a lesson of what Hamilton could expect at the 2025 season's end.
Carlos Sainz
Hamilton is no stranger to being caught up in a brutal axing. Indeed, when he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari last summer, the talented Spaniard could consider himself incredibly hard done by. The current Williams man was not just holding up his end of the bargain at Maranello—he was, for stretches, carrying the team’s resistance to Red Bull’s dominance.
In 2023, Sainz delivered Ferrari’s only grand prix win. In fact, he was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race all season, such was the dominance of Max Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez. Yet, as he prepared for talks to extend his future with Ferrari, the boardroom drama unfolded behind closed doors. While he raced for his future, Ferrari management orchestrated a coup, signing Hamilton in total secrecy and announcing the move on the eve of the 2024 season.
Sainz discovered his fate alongside millions of fans—via press release, not private conversation. Forced to endure a swansong season knowing he was surplus to requirements, the Spanish supremo responded with metronomic focus, picking up two race victories and finishing above Hamilton in the championship standings.
Sebastian Vettel
Few separations have echoed more icily than Sebastian Vettel’s exit from Maranello. The numbers: four wins in 2019; five years as Ferrari’s talisman. The method: a brief, abrupt phone call from Mattia Binotto. "No contract extension." Publicly, Ferrari dressed it up as mutual, but the four-time world champion’s own words stripped away the PR varnish: he wanted to stay.
The logic was to provide younger teammate Charles Leclerc with an almighty show of faith. After his bitter intra-Ferrari battles with Vettel, neither was willing to yield in their pursuit of being team leader, and something had to give. Ferrari decided that was Vettel, announcing ahead of the 2020 season that they had signed Carlos Sainz for 2021, as well as extended Leclerc's contract for good measure. Basically, Vettel was pushed before he could jump.
The fallout? An excruciating lame-duck season in an underperforming SF1000, where Vettel was left to soldier on, his dream in tatters and his departure masked by corporate euphemism. The statistics were merciless; the finish, undignified for a driver of his stature.
Daniil Kvyat
Consider how swift F1’s executioner can be. Two races after a Shanghai podium—Red Bull’s first of the season—Daniil Kvyat became collateral damage for team ambition. One error-strewn lap in Russia, two collisions with Sebastian Vettel, and the trapdoor sprang open.
Red Bull’s decision was clinical: demote Kvyat to Toro Rosso, elevate Max Verstappen, a 17-year-old prodigy. Verstappen’s subsequent victory on debut at the very next race in Spain hammered home the message: you are only as valuable as your last race. Kvyat’s trajectory never recovered, his public demotion standing as the ultimate testament to Red Bull's philosophy—no driver, regardless of potential or emotion, stands in the way of projected greatness.
Sergio Pérez
If meritocracy ruled, Sergio Pérez would have been bulletproof at Racing Point. After all, it was Pérez who, in 2018, fronted the legal challenge to save the team—then Force India—from extinction. But as soon as the Aston Martin rebrand came with the promise of Sebastian Vettel, gratitude evaporated.
Reports suggest Pérez first heard of his demise through a paper-thin hotel wall, the conversation of decision-makers bleeding through before a perfunctory phone call sealed his fate. The numbers once more provide drama: Pérez responded with a season-best, career-defining win in Sakhir.
In classical F1 irony, his greatest triumph arrived as the door closed—catapulting him instead to Red Bull. Fate and F1 do not always follow logic.