2026 The real “confrontation” for Hamilton – While Lewis Hamilton is clearly struggling at Ferrari, former world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes it will be next year where the Ferrari man faces his real “confrontation.” The former Mercedes driver is suffering his worst start to a season in his entire F1 career, with no podiums from the first fourteen Grand Prix.
He is lagging behind his team mate Charles Leclerc and is 10-4 down in qualifying and 12-2 behind in terms of finishing positions. Lewis endured a horrendous weekend in Hungary at a circuit where he has dominated over the years, claiming a record eight victories at the Hungaroring.
A poor qualifying session saw him start the grand Prix in twelfth place and while Lewis ran as high as seventh, when the strategies unwound he found himself back where he began at the chequered flag.
Hamilton publicly depressed
Meanwhile Charles Leclerc was achieving the nigh on impossible as he snuck his SF-25 ahead of the two McLaren’s to claim his 26th F1 pole position. Hamilton was not one to miss the irony of the situation as he sat motionless in his car for over a minute when given the news he was out in Q2.
After the session the depressed Ferrari driver accepted the fault was with him as he had been “utterly useless” even going as far as to suggest Ferrari should “get another driver” to replace him. Later Lewis attempted to quell any reports of him quitting F1 immediately as he repeated the expected mantra about “resetting” over the summer break and “coming back stronger.”
Speaking to Italian publication La Gazzetta, Villeneuve was surprised by Hamilton’s downbeat mood whilst recognising the huge cultural shift he is facing. “Lewis has had completely different experiences in Formula 1 and has always worked with the English and German methods in the past. Now he realises how different everything is at Ferrari,” says Villeneuve.
“It’s certainly surprising to see him so demoralised. There always seems to be some confusion at Ferrari about decisions and communication, even over the radio, and that doesn’t help his adaptation.”
Ferrari communication issues
Having partnered with Pete Bonnington for twelve years at Mercedes, Hamilton has had issues communicating with his new Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami. In qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix Hamilton was penalised after being told Max Verstappen behind his was “slowing down” leading to the Red Bull driver being impeded because in fact he was on a hot lap.
Come the chequered flag on Sunday, Lewis thanked the crew for repairing his car in impressive fashion prior to qualifying, along with the usual pleasantries. Yet there was radio silence at the other end, leading for Hamilton to question: “Are you upset with me or something?”
While Hamilton’s performance whilst compared to his team mate is dire at present, Villeneuve believes his biggest challenge is coming next season. “Next year will be the real confrontation with Leclerc,” says the Canadian. “This car was not designed for Hamilton, and with the new regulations, everything will be turned upside down again in 2026.
“However, there was a lot of attention and expectation surrounding his arrival, and there is no denying that the initial period has been undoubtedly disappointing.”
Hamilton’s age: “The elephant in the room”
While Sky presenter and fellow racer Anthony Davidson faced up to the “elephant in the room,” suggesting Hamilton’s age is indeed a factor in his current struggles, Villeneuve’s former colleague Ralf Schumacher even moots the possibility that Lewis will simply retire.
“It’s not out of the question,” Schumacher remarked when asked if this scenario was likely. “At Ferrari, they’re not turning a blind eye either. In my view, he either has to say: I’m hanging up my helmet, or he has to say: now more than ever.”
In Schumacher’s opinion Lewis can yet win more Grand Prix to add to the 103 so far in his illustrious career, however the circumstances have to be just right and the level of consistency appears to have gone.
“Silverstone last year and China this year: when everything’s just right, he’s lightning fast. He just needs everything to work out for him. He worked hard for that with Mercedes, but now he just doesn’t have it anymore.”
Russell’s theory on Ferrari “illegal ride height” challenged
“A lot going on in the background”
Whilst Hamilton is still adjusting to life in Maranello he has made repeated coded remarks about hidden issues which people don’t know about. After hitting a groundhog in Canada following a poor afternoon, Hamilton revealed to the assembled media: “I think what all you guys don’t see is what’s happening in the background. And there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot that needs improving. A lot of things need to be changed. For me, I know we’re not fighting for a win this year.”
Again in Hungary following his “useless” admission Lewis was asked to clarify what he meant about Ferrari getting another driver. He replied; “When you have a feeling, you have a feeling. There is a lot going on in the background that is not great.”
Having in effect thrown the towel in on the 2025 season, Hamilton will be pinning his hopes on the all new 2026 cars and engines. Much of the dreaded ground effect Hamilton hates will be gone with the all new floor specifications.
This will be one last effort from the seven times world champion to raise his game to the level where he can compete with his fast and younger team mate. Like Samson, can Hamilton rise one last time and take down the Philistines before his time is up?
2026 is a big year for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc entering his eighth season with the Scuderia. Should they fail to build a capable of at least winning races, Leclerc will surely be looking around for another drive and Hamilton will presumably retire. The stakes are high for Vasseur and his engineers as they face the biggest shake up in the design technical regulations even seen in F1 history.
Hamilton’s problem’s “down to age”
Hamilton’s Ferrari Fight: Is Father Time Finally Catching Up? – Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited adventure in red has not exactly begun with fireworks. Instead, the seven-time world champion finds himself fighting battles on multiple fronts—one of which, according to some, might be against the clock itself.
It was during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, under the searing heat of Budapest, that Sky Sports pundit and former F1 driver Anthony Davidson decided to say the quiet part out loud. Hamilton’s lack of form, Davidson suggested, could very well be a matter of age.
“This is just another obstacle,” Davidson explained on live television, as Hamilton’s downcast face beamed across screens following a dismal twelfth-place qualifying result. “And I say it quite openly because it’s obvious, age plays a role.”…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
