In the aftermath of the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, speculation intensified over whether Lewis Hamilton was preparing to bring his illustrious career to an end. His subdued tone and reflective comments on Sunday only fuelled the discussion.
For the first time, the seven-time world champion did not dismiss the idea of walking away, admitting he was focused less on the future and more on spending time with family over the Christmas period. The remarks were enough to spark widespread debate about whether Hamilton’s difficult debut season with Ferrari had pushed him towards retirement.
Hamilton Keeps His Dream Alive, For Now?
However, only days later, Hamilton’s message shifted significantly. The Briton made clear that he has not abandoned the ambition that brought him to Ferrari in the first place: the pursuit of a world championship in red. Speaking to reporters, Hamilton emphasised that his long-held dream remains intact.
“It’s about always keeping the dream in mind,” he said. “I still have a dream that I carry in my heart, and I’m working towards it.”
Despite enduring his first ever Formula 1 season without a single podium finish, Hamilton insisted the enjoyment of racing has not faded. He described the “love for what you do” as his source of strength, and credited his team and fans for the support that continues to drive him forward. According to Hamilton, motivation is not the issue, performance is.
Not everyone in the paddock shares his renewed optimism. Nico Rosberg, Hamilton’s former teammate and long-time rival, believes the Briton has already mentally stepped back from the sport. Speaking to Sky, Rosberg claimed Hamilton appears conflicted, suggesting he may prefer to walk away, but feels unable to do so after only one year at Ferrari.
In Rosberg’s view, Hamilton is “stuck” and left with no choice but to continue into 2026, even if the risk of another difficult season remains.
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Schumacher tells Hamilton to retire!
“Otherwise, Ferrari Is Fighting a Losing Battle.”
Although Hamilton later signalled an intention to continue, former driver Ralf Schumacher believes the Mercedes legend should walk away from the sport. From Schumacher’s perspective, both Hamilton and Ferrari would benefit from a clean break before the challenges of 2026 begin.
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Concerns About Hamilton’s Driving Adaptation and Work Ethic
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 Germany, Ralf Schumacher expressed doubts about Hamilton’s ability to rediscover the driving style that once made him dominant. According to Schumacher, Hamilton is “desperately searching for the driving feel with which he once won,” but is struggling to find it in the current generation of cars.
Schumacher claims Hamilton reacts to these difficulties by initiating extensive setup changes that ultimately create more problems than solutions.
“Apparently, he then completely rebuilds the car and demands things that are simply impossible,” he said.
“He’s unable to change his driving style.”
One of Schumacher’s strongest criticisms concerns Hamilton’s worth ethic approach to simulator work; an increasingly vital element of modern Formula 1.
“The simulator must be an absolute nightmare for him,” he suggested, referring to Hamilton’s long-standing reluctance to rely on virtual preparation. “That’s not modern Formula 1.”
For Ferrari, Schumacher believes these issues compound an already challenging situation. With Charles Leclerc as the clear performance reference, Schumacher argues that Ferrari cannot afford to enter another season with only one consistent development driver.
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Ferrari’s Strategic Dilemma
Schumacher’s core argument centres on Ferrari’s ability to develop a competitive car. “Ferrari can’t afford to be competing for the World Championship with only one car next year,” he warned.
Without competitive input from both sides of the garage, the Scuderia may struggle to optimise setups, correlation, data, and development direction.
“Otherwise, Ferrari is doomed,” Schumacher stated. “They can’t develop a car that suits both Charles and Lewis at the same time.”
His view is that Hamilton should step aside and “allow the team to have a second good and young driver alongside Leclerc” in 2026, giving Ferrari a stable platform for long-term progress.
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Herbert: “He’s Not the Lewis He Once Was.”
Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert supported Schumacher’s concerns, offering a similarly bleak assessment of Hamilton’s form. Herbert told NewBettingSites that recent interviews reveal a driver who appears “lost and dejected,” a stark contrast to the resilient competitor he once knew.
“You have to be honest with yourself,” Herbert said. “And if you have no idea what you need to do to get out of the slump and solve the problem, why continue?”
Herbert, who raced against Hamilton early in the Briton’s career, believes the instinctive brilliance that once set Hamilton apart has faded. “He had the will and the ability. Now, he no longer has that,” he said. “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.”
“Formula 1 exit” Hamilton “lost and dejected”
Ferrari’s Season Under Scrutiny
Beyond Hamilton’s individual performance, Herbert directed criticism at Ferrari as a whole. He labelled the team the “most disappointing” of the past season, noting that, despite the perennial pressure and optimism surrounding the Scuderia, they once again failed to meet expectations.
Ferrari finished fourth in the constructors’ championship, behind Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren. In the drivers’ standings, Leclerc placed fifth and Hamilton sixth—an underwhelming outcome for a team that had hoped Hamilton’s arrival would trigger a step forward.
“I thought there would be a refreshing leap in performance because they knew Lewis would be coming on board, but that hasn’t happened,” Herbert concluded.
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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
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