Lewis Hamilton crashed out of Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix in an exceedingly rare sight. An innocuous-looking error at turn three landed him in the barriers with terminal damage.
Hamilton also beached his Mercedes car in the gravel at last year’s United States GP, but before that, he hadn’t retired from a race due to an unforced error since 2009.
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David Coulthard says Hamilton faces an ‘uncomfortable conversation’ as he makes highly uncharacteristic mistakes. The track had become slippery due to a rain shower, but he has historically thrived in those conditions.
The result was that Hamilton failed to score points for the second consecutive race; this has only happened twice since he left McLaren at the end of 2012. Trailing teammate Charles Leclerc 25-8 in the overall head-to-head, he’s moved a step closer to a season without a podium.
Max Verstappen says he’ll know when it’s time to retire from F1
During the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, Max Verstappen spoke to ESPN about his future in F1. While he’s never shown much interest in racing into his 40s, the reigning champion is still performing at a high level and getting more experienced by the year.
Verstappen has said before that he’ll step away from racing when it stops being enjoyable. For Hamilton, this season has been short on positives and long on struggles.
Hamilton even went as far as to call himself ‘useless’ in an interview before the summer break, suggesting Ferrari should replace him. Those comments only added more fuel to retirement speculation.
The Dutchman has said he’ll step aside when he feels younger drivers deserve a shot and mentioned the importance of not overstaying his welcome. Hamilton, meanwhile, is facing questions about whether two difficult seasons in a row signal a broader decline.
“I would like to drive a little bit more [after F1], but I also actually don’t mind the more like manager side of things, you know, to see other drivers compete in your car, your team,” Verstappen said. “So yeah, I mean, it’s not so easy to fully answer that right now.”
Max Verstappen moving to Ferrari? Here’s why it’s not out of the question
There’s been talk that Verstappen might be eyeing a move to Ferrari, possibly even as Hamilton’s eventual replacement. He’s certainly weighing up his options beyond Red Bull.
Jos Verstappen has mentioned that his son is considering Ferrari, alongside Mercedes, who have long shown interest. The timing could actually work out.
Hamilton’s deal runs through 2026 but includes an option for another year. Given everything Verstappen has said about what keeps him motivated, Hamilton may not be eager to continue.
Verstappen, on the other hand, can exit Red Bull in 2027 if their performance under the new rules doesn’t meet expectations. By then, he’d have a clear path to most teams – except probably McLaren.
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