Ferrari is the name that scares them all in the world of motorsports, with its rich history and unmatchable legacy. But, the Italian red often gets dissed for a history that comes with darkness lurking in the background: Ferrari’s curse. So, what exactly is this curse and more importantly, is the seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, currently under its spell? Let’s take a detailed look at this mystery and figure out what’s really going on.
Ferrari’s Curse Explained
Ferrari’s curse is less about hexes and more about heartbreaks, the agonising “so close yet so far” moments that haunt the legendary Scuderia. For nearly two decades, Ferrari has endured a dry spell in the World Drivers’ Championship that’s practically unheard of, given their iconic status in F1.
To put it mildly, they haven’t won a driver’s title since Kimi Räikkönen’s fairy-tale championship in 2007. Since then, despite fielding some of the most talented drivers and cutting-edge cars, Ferrari has stumbled in crucial moments, lost championships in final races, made strategic blunders, experienced reliability issues, and internal team drama. The curse is really just a story of near misses turned into decades of disappointment, a strange cycle of hope followed by familiar heartbreak.
But what makes Ferrari’s curse even more painful is the frustrating reality where some of the most successful F1 drivers, world champions, join Ferrari and then fail to add any more titles to their name. Despite Ferrari’s legendary status as the oldest and most successful F1 team, the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships have eluded them since the mid-2000s.
Legendary champions like Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and even Kimi Räikkönen himself returned to Ferrari, hoping for glory but left without another world title. The reasons are many: team politics, car reliability issues, strategic blunders, and sometimes just bad luck. Success just doesn’t seem to stick with Ferrari’s star drivers, hence the phrase “Ferrari’s curse” became popular among fans and pundits alike.
Lewis Hamilton In Red: A New Hope Or A Nightmare?
Then, entered Lewis Hamilton in 2025. Coming off an incredibly successful era with Mercedes, seven world championships and counting, Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari was greeted with sky-high expectations. The hope: the great champion would not only end Ferrari’s title drought but perhaps rewrite his own legacy with the famous red car.
However, the season so far has been rough. Hamilton has struggled to make the podium, enduring his longest stretch without a podium finish since his rookie season. Frustrations with car performance, especially the brakes and overall balance, have been well documented. Hamilton himself has been candid about the challenges, describing some races where he felt “useless.”
So, Is Lewis Hamilton Under Ferrari’s Curse?
Is this the curse rearing its head again? In many ways, yes. The same pattern seems to emerge: a successful champion arrives, but the team is still not quite firing all cylinders to deliver a championship-winning car. Ferrari’s internal dynamics, technical challenges, and intense pressure add complex layers. Hamilton’s brilliance is undisputed, but even he needs a top-performing car and a finely tuned team to convert skill into championships.
That said, Hamilton remains determined. Despite the setbacks, he is putting in the effort to push Ferrari forward, making challenging decisions and driving improvements internally.
So, is Hamilton enduring Ferrari’s curse? At the moment, yes, he’s trapped in the same puzzle that many before him have faced. But will he break it? The season is still unfolding, and while challenges loom large, Hamilton’s experience and determination give Ferrari genuine hope. After all, no curse is unbreakable, especially with the right drive behind the wheel.
Also read: Max Verstappen And Lewis Hamilton To Enter MotoGP
