Who would have predicted it before the 2025 Formula 1 season began? A seven-time world champion joining Ferrari, heralded as the greatest driver of his generation, expected by many to breathe life into Maranello’s title ambitions, and yet finishing a 24-race campaign without a single Grand Prix podium.
For Lewis Hamilton, a man accustomed to climbing steps higher than most buildings in Central Monaco, this year’s results sheet reads more like an administrative error than a professional season. Four fourth-place finishes and a sprint win in China may look respectable on paper, but everyone knows Hamilton doesn’t race for “respectable.”
Hamilton sends a message to the pessimists
Still, when the chequered flag fell in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton insisted: “I feel good, and fresh.” Observers could be forgiven for quietly raising an eyebrow. He didn’t quite look like a man returning from a spa retreat.
His follow-up comment, “Everything I can say about this season, I’ve already said,” carried the sort of quiet exhaustion.
What continues to drive him, Hamilton says, is a lifelong love for racing that, and the unwavering support of fans who refuse to abandon hope, even if hope has spent most of the season doing laps in the Ferrari garage searching for the exit.
“I never lose sight of my goal. I know exactly what I want to achieve,” he insisted, maintaining the steely optimism that has defined much of his career.
Meanwhile, former colleagues and pundits, including ex-teammate Nico Rosberg, have taken turns debating whether Hamilton should retire. But Hamilton had a message for all of them. Mild, direct, and unmistakably Hamilton: “Anyone discussing my retirement hasn’t achieved what I have. They’re not on my level.”, ouch.
Hamilton’s uncertain future
Lewis Hamilton’s first season in Ferrari red was supposed to mark the beginning of a bold, new chapter. Instead, the seven-time world champion endured one of the most challenging years of his career.
The combination of an inconsistent car, strategic missteps, and visible emotional strain has fuelled growing speculation about whether the 40-year-old may be considering bringing his illustrious Formula 1 career to a close. Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert is among those who sense a crossroads approaching.
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“Lost and Dejected”: Herbert’s stark observation
Speaking to NewBettingSites, Herbert described a version of Hamilton he barely recognises.
“When you see him in interviews, it’s a Lewis I’ve never seen before. He just seems completely lost and dejected,” he said. According to Herbert, the British superstar has always managed to marshal both mental strength and technical clarity to overcome adversity throughout his career, but this season, that spark appears dulled.
Herbert believes that at some point, a driver must confront a difficult truth: if you no longer know how to break the cycle of poor performance or how to dig yourself out of a slump, the motivation to continue inevitably comes into question.
“You have to be honest with yourself,” he said. “And if you have no idea what you need to do to get out of the slump and solve the problem, why continue?”
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A Champion at a Career Crossroads?
Hamilton has never been one to shy away from a fight. His résumé is defined by resilience, comebacks, and sustained excellence. But, Herbert argues, these qualities have faded in recent months.
“He had the will and the ability. Now, he no longer has that,” he added, suggesting that Hamilton’s internal drive may be dwindling after the draining Ferrari debut.
With Hamilton pointedly refusing to commit to his long-term Formula 1 future in recent media appearances, questions have intensified. Herbert even envisions a scenario in which Hamilton chooses to step away from the sport entirely.
“I could imagine him deciding to say, ‘That’s it, really. I’ve had one of the best careers of any driver in Formula 1 and I can leave a happy man,’” Herbert said.
According to him, any such decision would likely involve family discussions — particularly with Hamilton’s father, Anthony, who has been a defining presence throughout his career. “Maybe he’ll sit down with Anthony and his mother to discuss where he stands right now,” Herbert added.
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A Decline That Might Not Reverse
Herbert’s evaluation is blunt. For him, the change in Hamilton is clear and startling.
“He’s no longer the Lewis Hamilton he once was. Everything seems more difficult, much more difficult, whereas it used to be easy. He never had to think about it. It just happened. That’s over,” he said.
The former driver even questioned whether the old Hamilton could re-emerge. “Will it come back? That would surprise me a lot.” In Herbert’s view, the combination of emotional fatigue and performance frustration paints an ominous picture for any potential resurgence.
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Ferrari’s Failings Under Scrutiny
Hamilton is not the only target of Herbert’s scrutiny. He also delivered a severe assessment of Ferrari’s season as a whole, calling the Scuderia the “most disappointing team” of the year. Despite high expectations, and hopes that Hamilton’s arrival would inject fresh momentum, the team struggled to deliver a coherent and competitive package.
Herbert pointed to issues ranging from the car and engine to internal organisation and race-day strategy. “For some reason, the team doesn’t seem to be able to put all the right ingredients together,” he said.
Ferrari finished only fourth in the constructors’ standings, trailing McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull. In the drivers’ championship, Charles Leclerc secured fifth place, with Hamilton just behind in sixth — far below the ambitions that accompanied his high-profile move.
Herbert summed up the season as “more disappointing than expected,” remarking that he anticipated a performance lift driven by Hamilton’s arrival and experience. Instead, the year became a catalogue of setbacks for both driver and team.
As the paddock speculates about Hamilton’s next move, one question echoes louder than ever: after everything he has achieved, and after a season this difficult, why continue?
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NEXT ARTICLE – IndyCar Wins Long Fight for FIA Recognition
FIA relent over Indycar recognition – Indycar is North America’s premier single seater racing series but for many years has been treated by the FIA as inferior to its own Formula One feeder series F3000, GT2 and now F2.
The biggest race on the North American calendar is held in May at the Indianapolis Speedway and the Indy500 attracts in excess of 300,000 people on race day. The 500 mile long race on the two and a half mile oval was part of the FIA F1 world drivers championship between 1950 and 1960, although the race and the Indycar series are governed by their own regulatory body.
Whilst in recent years a number of ex-F1 drivers have made the transition to Indycar, including Marcus Ericson, and Romain Grosjean to name but two and the news in November broke that Mick Schumacher will be racing in the series in 2026.
F1 drivers winning the Indy500
The benchmark for gaining a Grade A license to race in Indycar is based on experience and a points based system, which is less stringent than the FIA’s own super license required for F1. In days of yore, drivers would compete in different series either side of the Atlantic but in modern F1 history few ex-Indycar drivers make the trip across the pond.
One of the reasons being is that its tough for them to gain the required points based on the FIA’s poor ranking of the Indycar series. Yet with Indycar being a spec series (where all the cars are the same) usually a wider range of drivers are able to win races each season, given its based on talent on not who has the best car.
Formula One’s Alexander Rossi made the transition to the US series after a short spell in F1, he went on to win the blue ribbon event the Indy500 at the centenary running of the race in 2016. Marcus Ericson too after years of back of the field running for Sauber won at the brick yard, but was robbed of a second victory on the last lap by Joseph Newgarden in 2023.
In F1’s golden era, there were a number of Formula One champions who made their ay across to Indiana to win “The greatest spectacle in motor racing.” Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Jacques Villeneuve all became F1 World Champions and Indy 500 winners and Fernando Alonso attempted it three times, but failed to cross the yard of bricks finishing line first…READ MORE ON THIS ARTICLE
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.
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