Lewis Hamilton tipped to emulate Michael Schumacher by former Ferrari stalwart as the Brit backed to bring glory to the Italian team

Ex-Ferrari man Francesco Cigarini has asserted that Lewis Hamilton can emulate Michael Schumacher at the Maranello-based squad. The Briton joined the Scuderia this year, while Schumacher last drove for the team in 2006.

Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996 and ended the team's championship drought in 2000, winning five consecutive world titles. On the other hand, Hamilton joined the team this year, during the team's ongoing title drought.

So, arriving in Maranello, some have reckoned that the 40-year-old could do what the German was able to do and bring the prancing horses back to the top of F1. Cigarini has been one such person who said (via PlanetF1):

"Hamilton brings knowledge and organisation typical of British teams, which are highly structured and different from Ferrari. Today, something similar can be rebuilt with Lewis: signing a multiple world champion was the right choice, not only for marketing reasons but also for the experience he brings... Leclerc is very fast and is more used to driving on eggshells. Hamilton is strong, but he needs a more solid car. If you listen to him, you can improve in the long term."

"It takes time, as was the case with Schumacher and [Jean] Todt. It took patience at first, but then the results came. I would put my full trust in Lewis, even if the stopwatch isn’t rewarding him today. And Leclerc will also benefit from this."

While some have touted Lewis Hamilton to help Ferrari return their name to the world championships, others in the paddock contain different opinions.

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Lewis Hamilton once revealed that he doesn't care about criticism from F1 pundits

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

Lewis Hamilton has been at the top of the racing ladder for a while. Knowing how the F1 world operates has helped him navigate through some peculiar situations where others' statements could seemingly have an effect on his image.

So, the 40-year-old revealed earlier this year in an interview with Time Magazine that he has decided to keep those people who like to stir up things away from himself:

"I never, ever reply to any of the older, ultimately, white men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing. How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that."

On the other hand, Hamilton's 2025 season has not been short of a rollercoaster ride. He has won the sprint race in Shanghai, but has even seen the dearth of facing a disqualification in the same race weekend.

Moreover, unfortunately, Hamilton has been unable to reach the podium in the Grand Prix format and possesses the record for most races competed in Ferrari without climbing on the podium. He would like to work on it in the final three race weekends of the 2025 season.