Six races into the 2026 Formula 1 season, Lewis Hamilton’s tenure at Ferrari has not gone according to plan. Speculation of an eighth world championship for the British driver existed since his move to Ferrari was announced in early 2024. However, it appears that the team may have gone backwards since.
Coming into Ferrari, the general expectation was that Hamilton would be outperformed by Charles Leclerc at the start, but would begin to close the gap eventually. However, the seven-time world champion has faced issues regarding pace and tumultuous radio messages to his engineer. Hamilton’s frustration with the team has been very apparent, resulting in doubts over his move.
While Hamilton is achieving his supposed dream of driving for Ferrari, an eighth world championship is also a strong desire of his. If things continue like this for the 40-year-old, there is no doubt he will look at other options.
Hamilton’s career could end with a Mercedes-powered team
The current belief is that Mercedes will have a large margin over other teams heading into 2026. As a result, teams powered by Mercedes will also benefit heavily as well. Those teams include Alpine, McLaren, and Williams.
The seven-time world champion will be 41 years old at the end of 2026, the final year of his Ferrari contract, and will turn 42 shortly after the new year in 2027. Hamilton will certainly assess whether he wants to continue in Formula 1 and should strongly consider a new team in 2027.
Next season will give him a good idea of which teams are towards the top. A spot could open up for Hamilton at Alpine, Williams, or even Mercedes for one final stint in Formula 1. At the moment, no driver from any of those teams has a contract for 2027, although George Russell is reportedly close to a new deal that should keep him with the team through the end of 2027.
If the Mercedes power unit turns out as strong as initially believed, Hamilton could have his eyes on the move. The British driver reaped the success of a major regulation change in 2014 which saw the Silver Arrows far ahead of their competition.
Would it be enough for an eighth world title?
Hamilton can still be the quickest driver on the grid, but it appears to be a rare occasion at this point. With a lack of ability in qualifying and a diminishing level of confidence during a race, this is not the Hamilton he was back in 2020 or 2021.
You could give him a very quick car, but then the question becomes whether he can beat the other drivers. Looking forward to 2027, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and George Russell should still be mighty quick, presumably in Mercedes-powered cars. Factors can change quickly, but the odds of Hamilton attaining a record-breaking eighth world title are becoming farther from reality every day.