Months ago, Nico Rosberg and Ralf Schumacher BRUTALLY demanded Lewis Hamilton retire! šŸ˜±šŸŽļø They claimed his Ferrari move was a massive failure. 🤬 But after Lewis’s epic 20-second win, his fiercest critics just made a SHOCKING U-turn!

Shifting from critics to admirers, Nico Rosberg has labelled Lewis Hamilton’s debut Ferrari win as a ā€œtruly fantastic dayā€, while Ralf Schumacher called it ā€œimpressiveā€.

But just months prior, both were questioning the Ferrari driver’s ability.

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari win earns praise from former critics

HamiltonĀ made the bold decision to switch from Mercedes to Ferrari last season, calling time on his 12-year career with Mercedes that included six world titles.

It was billed as a fairytale story, F1’s most successful driver joining its most iconic team in a blockbuster of cinematic proportions.

But alas, it fell short last year with Hamilton not even making it onto a Grand Prix podium.

The naysayers were out.

ā€œHe’s obviously the greatest of all time, but it’s really not a worthy ending to his career,ā€ Rosberg told Sky Sports. ā€œIt’s a horrible situation to be in. It causes him a lot of suffering.

ā€œKeeping on going? Time is also not on his side. It’s not going to get easier. That’s also not an option.ā€

But while Rosberg straddled the fence, Schumacher’s blunt opinionĀ was that Hamilton’s time was done.

ā€œHamilton is in a better position again this year,ā€ the former Toyota driver said. ā€œBut over the course of the season, he won’t stand a chance against Leclerc.ā€

He went on to say that it is time for Hamilton, along with Fernando Alonso to ā€œvacate their cockpits at the end of the year and give young people a chance.ā€

However, seven race weekends into the F1 2026 season, the narrative has changed.

Hamilton has not only emerged as Ferrari’s number one driver ahead of Charles Leclerc, but he’s also the only one of the teammates to have won a Grand Prix this season.

Hamilton was victorious at the Barcelona Grand Prix where he took the chequered flag 20 seconds ahead of George Russell, while Leclerc retired for the second race in succession.

Hamilton is also second in theĀ drivers’ standings, 41 points behind Kimi Antonelli and nine ahead of Russell. Leclerc is 40 points behind his teammate.

ā€œThis was a truly fantastic day for the sport,ā€ proclaimed Rosberg of Hamilton’s maiden Ferrari win on Sky Deutschland. ā€œIt’s historic. He’s the greatest of all time.

ā€œIt’s brilliant that he’s turned things round, because things looked so bleak last year.

ā€œIt felt as though he was almost on his way out; he could have said at any moment: ā€˜I’m quitting’.

ā€œBut he persevered, now feels comfortable in the car, and you can see a positive momentum everywhere.ā€

As for Schumacher, he reckons it’s now Leclerc who is the Ferrari driver that’s under pressure.

Lewis Hamilton v Charles Leclerc: Ferrari’s F1 2026 scores

ā€œIt’s impressive what Lewis Hamilton is doing at the moment,ā€ he said.

ā€œHe’s got on really well with the car right from the start and is now starting to take the lead in the team again.

ā€œCharles Leclerc obviously has to watch his step a bit now. It’s having an effect on him.ā€