Lewis Hamilton’s first Formula 1 season at Ferrari has been quite disastrous, and the seven-time world champion is definitely looking forward to never driving the SF-25 again after this Sunday. While he still has one more season with the Scuderia on his contract, Hamilton’s tenure with the team is not looking like it will be remembered as pretty.
What started off with the expectation of regular podium finishes and wins turned into a season in which Hamilton has struggled to make it out of Q1. Rather than aiming for the podium in each race, Ferrari and Hamilton have been regularly planning for recovery drivers to get by with a few points.
There has clearly been loads of frustration on the British driver’s end, coupled with him losing a bit of his touch. It did not help when he mentally checked out of the 2025 season with still a few races to go, either.
Lewis Hamilton might receive familiar treatment from Ferrari
The 40-year-old was announced as Ferrari’s new driver for 2025, more than one full year in advance. Doing so abruptly put Carlos Sainz Jr. without a seat for the following season, and it definitely took an emotional toll on the Spanish driver.
With Hamilton’s visible struggles this season, further continuation into 2026 might push Ferrari to pull the trigger on his future as well. Oliver Bearman has been fantastic in his debut season in Formula 1 with Haas, producing great results and regularly beating more experienced teammate Esteban Ocon. It is quite apparent that he is on track to be a Ferrari driver in the future, but timing is everything.
Given the fact that Hamilton and Bearman are essentially on opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of performance relative to expectations, the 20-year-old could be announced in a fashion similar to his British counterpart.
It would not be out of the question for the seven-time world champion to be left without a seat for 2027 even before the Australian Grand Prix gets the 2026 season underway.
Hamilton’s situation is an uncomfortable one for everyone involved, and perhaps his legacy and prior success is holding him back from receiving the appropriate level of criticism. Nevertheless, one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all-time faces a real possibility of getting axed the same way his predecessor did.