Photo: Race Pictures

Hamilton’s 2026 future questioned in striking F1 champion assessment

22:01, 01 Feb

byTobia Elia

Damon Hill has floated a scenario in which Lewis Hamilton might not even see out his second season at Ferrari in 2026.

“If the motivation goes, if Lewis has another year like he has been having, like last year or the year before, I don’t see him seeing the end of the year out”

- Damon Hill

The seven-time world champion is facing a redemption season after a first year that fell well short of pre-season expectations — especially when set against his new team-mate Charles Leclerc, a comparison that left him bruised, with a stark 0–7 deficit in podium finishes and the Monegasque also claiming the team’s only pole position.

The 1996 world champion, speaking as a guest on The Undercut podcast by The Race, said: “If the motivation goes, if Lewis has another year like he has been having, like last year or the year before, I don’t see him seeing the end of the year out, because the joy of everything has gone out of it.

“He doesn’t need to sit in a car and deliver points for Ferrari if Charles Leclerc is winning or getting more than him. He doesn’t need to be there.”

Photo: Race Pictures

Hamilton tempers optimism after Ferrari posts fastest time in Barcelona

While it remains to be seen whether Hill’s claims will be borne out on track, the seven-time world champion kicked off his second season with Ferrari by setting the fastest time across all five days of testing in Barcelona.

However, despite topping the timesheets and showing early promise with an encouraging SF-26, Hamilton acknowledged the sense of enthusiasm within the Ferrari camp while stressing that real progress will only come through hard work.

Read the full story here.

GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.