Lewis Hamilton’s debut season with Ferrari has been one of the most difficult stretches of his career, which is surprising given how many high points he’s had across 19 years in Formula 1.
Even before joining Ferrari at the age of 40, Hamilton had never gone more than 10 races into a season without standing on the podium. Now, through 16 races with his new team, his best finishes remain a trio of fourth places at Imola, Austria and Silverstone.
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Finishing sixth at Monza in his first Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver took him to just 117 points for the season. Under the current points system introduced in 2010, he had never scored fewer than 153 after this many rounds.
Jean Alesi has also taken issue with what he describes as Hamilton’s “attitude” since joining Ferrari. The former Scuderia driver pointed to qualifying for the Italian GP, where Hamilton offered to give Charles Leclerc a slipstream but wasn’t asked by the team to help.
Calls for Lewis Hamilton to consider retirement after tough start with Ferrari
Fred Vasseur, the Ferrari team boss, believes Lewis Hamilton sees the season as starting fresh after the Italian Grand Prix. But former Williams driver Derek Daly thinks it might be time for Hamilton to step away from Formula 1, saying he’s struggled since making the move to Ferrari.
Hamilton joined Maranello for the 2025 season on a two-year contract, a move Daly has described as a “marketing decision” by Ferrari. But he also feels that Hamilton has lost some of the abilities that made him so successful, and at 40 years old, age could be playing a role.
“Hamilton was one of the most gifted racing athletes the world has ever seen,” Daly told RacingNews365. “But I think we’ve seen his best days.”
“Physiologically, you just can’t have instincts and reflexes at 40 years of age that 20-year-olds have. That’s just a fact of life. It’s human nature. I don’t think Hamilton has access to those gifts at the level he had in the past.”
“Ferrari made a marketing decision to bring Hamilton, a brilliant one, but not a competitive decision. The team has suffered. I think Hamilton has suffered, and I do not see it getting better. I do not see more success for Lewis at the level he had in the past at Ferrari.
“The best thing that could happen is that Lewis realises that and makes the decision himself to go off and do the next step of his career.”
Ferrari starting to consider life after Hamilton as Oscar Piastri enters the frame
Hamilton’s contract runs through the 2026 season with an option for 2027, but Ferrari have already started planning for what comes next. One name reportedly on their radar is Gabriel Bortoleto, who has impressed early on in his rookie year with Sauber.
Ferrari are also said to be keeping an eye on Oscar Piastri’s situation at McLaren, in case the Australian looks to exit his deal early. Meanwhile, there are even suggestions that Max Verstappen could be interested in a move to Ferrari, depending on how the 2026 cars perform.
If Verstappen were to become available, he would undoubtedly move straight to the top of Ferrari’s wish list. However, current indications are that Oliver Bearman remains their primary choice to succeed Hamilton when he eventually calls time on his career.
It’s unlikely Hamilton will leave before his deal runs out. He’ll want to see how Ferrari performs under the new regulations in 2026 before making any decisions. Still, if the car doesn’t deliver next season, a change could come sooner rather than later.
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