Lewis Hamilton’s starting position for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi was 16th on the grid after another Q1 elimination. The Ferrari superstar, who competed in his first season in Maranello red this year, was undeterred by this, on the contrary, he staged a strong comeback that was rewarded with eighth place and four championship points.
This saw the seven-time world champion finish the championship in sixth place overall, failing to secure a top-three finish for the first time in his Formula 1 career. Only six points separate him from his rookie successor, Kimi Antonelli, who collected 150 championship points in his Mercedes.
His teammate Charles Leclerc finished fifth, just ahead of Hamilton, but with 242 championship points and seven podium finishes, the Monegasque was significantly more successful.
A season that tested Hamilton’s resolve
Lewis Hamilton’s final weekend of the 2025 season at Yas Marina was emblematic of a year defined by frustration, flashes of brilliance, and a struggle to find consistency with his new Ferrari team. Beginning the decider from 16th on the grid would once have been unthinkable for a driver long accustomed to dominating Saturdays, let alone Sundays.
Yet the seven-time world champion delivered a gritty and disciplined comeback, picking off rivals with the kind of measured racecraft that has always formed the backbone of his success.
That drive to eighth place did little to soften the reality of the season, however. Hamilton’s sixth place in the drivers’ standings marked the first time in his illustrious career that he failed to finish within the top three. Ferrari’s decision to place long-term development over short-term results left both their star drivers with a difficult hand to play.
Ferrari insiders have hinted that the Briton carried far more internal pressure than he let on. Transitioning into a new environment at 40, adapting to new processes, new engineers, and new team rhythms, all while being compared to a younger teammate in top form, created a cocktail of tension.
Verstappen SLAMS FIA ground effect regulation era
Hamilton will ‘disappear’ after Abu Dhabi
Hamilton admitted after retiring from the racetrack, possibly for good: “Right now, I’m just looking forward to the break. I just want to switch off and not talk to anyone. No one will be able to reach me this winter…”
The British driver then admitted that “I won’t be carrying my cell phone with me. I’m looking forward to that. Just being completely disconnected from the matrix.“
The 40-year-old revealed that he had never taken this approach before, when asked. “Not really, I wouldn’t say so,’ he waved off. I actually always had it with me. But this time, it’s going in the damn trash.” – This is completely untrue, of course.
Brundle calls out Verstappen Abu Dhabi rant
The last time Hamilton withdrew from the world
Hamilton’s vow to disappear for the winter immediately invited parallels to the last major moment when he went silent after a season finale: the aftermath of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Following the now-infamous late-race decision that handed Max Verstappen the world championship, Hamilton withdrew almost completely from public view. He skipped social media, avoided appearances, and maintained near-total silence for weeks. Rumours of retirement swirled at unprecedented intensity, fuelled by uncertainty from within Mercedes and a fanbase unsure whether the seven-time champion would return.
Throughout that winter, Hamilton’s absence became symbolic, a protest, a period of mourning, and ultimately, a moment of recalibration.
In 2025, the parallels are unmistakable. The circumstances differ, no single moment of controversy, no disputed title, but the emotional weight feels similar. This time, it is not anger or injustice driving him inward, but weariness. A year of being on the back foot, of wrestling with a car that refused to cooperate, of knowing he is nearing the twilight of his career while still desperately wanting one last shot at glory.
McLaren’s Fair-Play Promise Meets Reality in High-Stakes Finale
Is This the Last Race for Hamilton and Ferrari?
If Hamilton’s comments about throwing his phone “in the damn trash” hinted at a man seeking distance, the closing team radio added an entirely different layer, one that immediately set tongues wagging in the paddock.
As the chequered flag fell in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton delivered a heartfelt message to the Ferrari garage: “I’m grateful for all the hard work. I’ll always fight for you guys. Always. That’s it.”
What followed was… nothing. A long, awkward, almost deliberate silence from the Ferrari pit wall.
Long enough that social media lit up before the reply even came. Long enough that Hamilton himself broke the quiet with a pointed, almost confused follow-up: “You get that message? The one time you don’t reply.”
Only then did Ferrari respond, and it was the wording that set off alarm bells across the sport: “Haha, we got it, yeah, we were talking. Thank you very much. It was awesome working with you. And grazie mille.”
Hamilton & Ferrari’s tobacco money: Controversial return to advertising on F1 cars
Is there evidence that Hamilton is gone for good? What the Ferrari pit wall replied with
The past tense “was” did not go unnoticed. In a team environment where phrasing is typically cautious, precise, and intentional, this sounded anything but.
Combined with the long pause and the unmistakable shift in tone, it raised suspicions that Hamilton’s future at Ferrari may not be as secure, or as straightforward, as many believed.
The radio exchange also cast a new light on comments Hamilton made throughout the season about his adaptation struggles, the team’s internal restructuring, and the uncertainty brought by the 2026 regulations. Ferrari insists the message was simply a clumsy expression of gratitude at the end of a difficult year, but the paddock heard something entirely different: finality.
For a driver who has never been shy about emotional transparency, Hamilton’s delivery felt like a farewell. For a team that usually prides itself on unity, Ferrari’s pause felt like hesitation. Whether that hesitation was political, personal or contractual remains unknown, but in Formula 1, silences often say more than words.
F1 Driver in custody: Statement via lawyer
What Hamilton’s winter silence could mean for 2026
Hamilton’s declaration that “No one will be able to reach me” is both a warning and a promise. If 2021 was the winter Hamilton briefly disappeared because he was bruised by injustice, then 2025 may become the winter he disappears because something deeper is shifting.
His radio sign-off, Ferrari’s uneasy reply and the unmistakable change in language have opened a question that seemed unthinkable just months ago: Is this partnership already reaching its end?
One thing is certain: when Lewis Hamilton goes silent, history shows that a major chapter is either closing… or about to begin.
GP & Marko Red Bull Exit: Repercussions for Verstappen
NEXT ARTICLE – Mercedes boss admits relationship with Hamilton was breaking down
Lewis Hamilton left his Mercedes Formula One team after twelve seasons of huge success together. In fact in F1 history the partnership between the team and the seven times champion was the most successful ever.
Yet following the failure by Mercedes to pit Hamilton at a crucial time in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which cost him a record eight drivers’ title, Hamilton was never the same driver again.
In 2022 Lewis failed to win a Grand Prix for the first time in his career and as if to add insult to injury, he was outscored by his new junior team mate, George Russell, who won his maiden Grand Prix in Brazil to clinch the inter-team mate battle.
Hamilton vocal over Mercedes failings
That year saw a big change in the FIA car design regulations as the new ground effect car specifications changed the face of F1 racing and Mercedes, unlike in 2014, missed the brief. Much was expected of the zero pod W13 car design, but early F1 analysts expectations were quickly dashed.
“We got it wrong,” Hamilton complained early season after being lapped by Max Verstappen at the Emilia Romagne Grand Prix. “Nothing we do…seems to work” said Lewis after a difficult Friday session in Montreal. “We’re trying different set-ups… for me it was a disaster”.
As George Russell became the points leader out of the Mercedes driver’s, Hamilton’s narrative was that he was the driver doing extreme setup experiments to help the team understand the car. “We are obviously not fighting for the championship. But we are fighting to understand the car and improve and progress through the year,” Hamilton claimed at the British Grand Prix.
Whilst in 2023, Hamilton was able to beat his team mate, it was yet another winless season for the British driver. Come the early European season, Hamilton was publicly criticising the team for failing to listen to him in terms of improving the handling characteristics of the W14…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
Craig.J. Alderson is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Craig oversees newsroom operations and coordinates editorial output across the site. With a background in online sports reporting and motorsport magazine editing, he plays a key role in maintaining consistency, speed, and accuracy in TJ13’s coverage.
During race weekends, Craig acts as desk lead, directing contributors, prioritising breaking stories, and ensuring timely publication across a fast-moving news cycle.
Craig’s work focuses heavily on real-time developments in the paddock, including team updates, regulatory decisions, and emerging controversies. This role requires a detailed understanding of Formula 1’s operational flow, from practice sessions through to race-day strategy and post-race fallout.
With experience managing editorial teams, Craig ensures that TJ13 delivers structured, reliable coverage while maintaining the site’s distinctive voice.
Craig has a particular interest in how information moves within the paddock environment, and how rapidly developing stories can be accurately translated into clear, accessible reporting for readers.
Alex Stanton is a Formula 1 journalist at TJ13 with a focus on the financial and commercial dynamics that underpin the sport. Alex contributes reporting and analysis on team ownership structures, sponsorship trends, and the evolving business model of Formula 1.
At TJ13, Alex covers topics including manufacturer investment, cost cap implications, and the strategic direction of teams navigating an increasingly complex financial environment. Alex’s work often examines how commercial decisions translate into on-track performance and long-term competitiveness.
With a strong interest in the intersection of sport and business, Alex provides context around Formula 1’s global growth, including media rights, expansion markets, and manufacturer influence.
Alex’s reporting aims to explain the financial realities behind headline stories, helping readers understand how money, governance, and strategy shape the competitive order in Formula 1.
