Hamilton Reflects on 2026 Retirement After Tough Season with Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has addressed speculation regarding his potential retirement from Formula 1 after the 2025 season, following what he described as a challenging year with Ferrari. The seven-time world champion has faced considerable difficulties this season, with performance falling below expectations after a promising start.

At the beginning of the season, Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race, which raised hopes for a successful partnership with Ferrari. Unfortunately, that victory would mark the only time he stood on the podium in 2025. Throughout the year, Hamilton has struggled to adapt to Ferrari’s machinery, which has seen a decline in performance as the season progressed. He has communicated suggestions to the Ferrari headquarters in Maranello aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, yet his record of races without a podium finish continues to grow.

During the recent Qatar GP weekend, Hamilton faced significant setbacks. He was eliminated in Q1 during both Sprint qualifying and the feature qualifying, ultimately finishing outside the points in 12th position in the feature race. In a post-race interview, he was asked whether he planned to continue with Ferrari in 2026 or assess his situation during the offseason. Hamilton’s response highlighted concerns regarding the current generation of ground-effect cars rather than focusing solely on his disappointing season.

Hamilton has encountered substantial challenges since the introduction of ground-effect cars in 2022, a trend that continued during his time with Mercedes. His difficulties have intensified at Ferrari, where the performance issues have been more pronounced. The expectation that these cars would enhance overtaking has not materialized; drivers have found it increasingly challenging to follow closely due to dirty air, which adversely affects tire performance.

Reflecting on his struggles, Hamilton noted that Ferrari’s decision to halt development of the 2025 car to focus on the 2026 model has had negative consequences. This choice was evident during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, where even fellow racer Charles Leclerc expressed skepticism about Ferrari’s performance prospects. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly also remarked on the surprising lack of competitiveness from Ferrari.

In an emotional post-race interview, Hamilton emphasized the difficulties he has faced and how they contribute to what he termed a “nightmare” season. With one final opportunity remaining this year at the Abu Dhabi GP, Hamilton aims to secure a podium finish with Ferrari, which would provide a much-needed consolation to end a challenging season.