Ferrari failure will not damage Lewis Hamilton's legacy, feels Mercedes boss Toto Wolff

Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari chapter has not started on a great note, with him yet to score a podium in the Grand Prix format for the squad. But, despite this, the seven-time champion's legacy will remain unaffected, according to his former boss, Toto Wolff, who compared Hamilton's Maranello venture to Michael Schumacher's time at Mercedes.

The Brit had decided to join Ferrari before the start of the 2024 season, and when the time came, the paddock brought a host of expectations for the 40-year-old. However, these expectations have yet to come to fruition as Hamilton has only scored 109 points in the 15 race weekends held so far, with a best result of fourth-place that he has achieved three times in the year.

While this has halted the seven-time champion's impressive career wins tally, if Hamilton does not have a great spell at Ferrari, it won't matter in the long run, as Wolff explained (via Motorsport.com):

"If he retires, he's still the GOAT. He's going to retire and nobody is going to ever know that he was at Ferrari at the end. Who thinks about the Schumacher and Mercedes time? That isn't relevant for Schumacher's career, so..."

In his final year for Mercedes, Hamilton won two races and claimed five podiums before he jumped ship to Ferrari.

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Toto Wolff shares how Fernando Alonso's longevity gives him confidence for Lewis Hamilton's F1 journey in his 40s

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 F1 Grand Prix of the Netherlands race weekend - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton is among the two drivers on the current F1 grid to race in their 40s, alongside Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso. Moreover, the Spaniard has been performing in the upper echelons of the grid whenever he has the machinery capable of fighting for podiums.

Looking at what the two-time champion is achieving in the F1 sphere, Toto Wolff shared how Hamilton can follow a similar trend and still be one of the strongest drivers on the grid. He said (via Motorsport.com):

"A driver or a sportsperson can compensate a decline of performance in some areas with overperformance in others. Let's say, your experience can compensate for maybe a lesser speed on a single lap. I've seen [Fernando] Alonso, he's always been able to compensate. So, I believe Lewis with a car that gives him the confidence and the feedback can still be very good."

On the other hand, all has not gone badly for Lewis Hamilton in 2025. The Brit claimed a sprint win in China earlier in the year. He then claimed a further top-three result at the following sprint race in Miami.

So, the seven-time champion has showcased glimpses of performance throughout the year and hopes to have a better second half of his debut Ferrari campaign.