F1 expert names exact moment Lewis Hamilton could retire ahead of 2026 season
Hamilton is entering the second year of his contract with Ferrari in 2026.
Lewis Hamilton's former colleague has named the exact moment when he will know to retire from Formula 1 ahead of the 2026 season.
Hamilton struggled during the 2025 season, failing to win a Grand Prix and finishing seventh in the Drivers' Championship.
While Ferrari were rarely in a position to challenge for wins - his team-mate Charles Leclerc didn't stand on the top step of the podium either - Leclerc did consistently outperform Hamilton in qualifying and races.
The seven-time world champion cut a dispondent figure during the second half of the season, and described himself as 'useless' after qualifying in 12th for the Hungarian Grand Prix - before Leclerc then won pole.
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It has been largely acknowledged that the now-previous generation of F1 cars didn't suit Hamilton's driving style, which relies on aggressive late braking into corner entry and strong rear-end grip.
While watching Hamilton's onboards during the 2025 season, viewers will no doubt have picked up on the 41-year-old having to make a significant number of steering corrections throughout qualifying laps and in races, which did little to help his struggles with the car.
In 2026, the new regulations means the cars have taken a step towards his preferred style again - and Hamilton has spoken positively about his chances during the season.
Though the regulations have presented a new set of challenges, with drivers noting that they are more power-limited during certain corners and have to focus far more on energy deployment and harvesting.
Ferrari have experimented with several technical innovations during testing, including a rear wing that pivots up to 270 degrees when the new active aerodynamic system is activated.
It has also proven largely reliable, too, with any car-related stoppages during the two Bahrain tests not related to the new power units introduced for 2026.
Hamilton is entering the second guaranteed year of his Ferrari contract - there are contrasting reports over whether he holds the option for a third year, or whether that is also guaranteed - but it is no doubt going to be a big season in determining how long he decides to stay in Formula 1.
Richard Hopkins, who worked with the seven-time world champion at McLaren and has known him since he was 12 years old, is confident that Hamilton will have a strong season.
He believes that Hamilton has 'got his mojo back' - and has indicated when he believes he will hang up his F1 helmet.
"I think where we saw lap times, certainly at the end of that regulation period in 2025, where rookies could come in last year and they were on the pace straightaway," Hopkins told SPORTbible (via Casino Groups).
"I don't think that's great, in as far as somebody who's never driven an F1 car can come in and be half a second off the pace of a seven-time world champion.
"If we're now seeing a spread of 2-3 seconds across the grid... and to get up to the sharp end, you've got to wrestle these cars, and you've got to have the talent of a Lewis Hamilton to be able to do it. And you'll be rewarded for it.
"So if Lewis sees that and he's smiling because of it, bring it on. That's Formula 1.
"I would love to see him come back. To be perfectly honest, he seems to have got his mojo back again with this one.
"Ferrari look good. When was the last time you ever heard anybody say, 'Ferrari look good', in a sentence? But they do, they have looked good [in testing].''
"He's driving a Ferrari, and he's being paid tens of millions of dollars per year," Hopkins continued. "But if he's not happy, he'll just hang up his boots and his helmet.
"But if he's happy, why leave? Because they [top drivers] don't need to stay, but they've got that drug and that winning, that driving a car that you know you can get pole position [with]. You know you've got a chance to win. You know you've got a shot at the championship.
"That's enough of the drug to keep you there. And how old is Lewis now? 41. So why not carry on, as long as he's fit enough, and as long as he still thinks he's got the hand-eye co-ordination and the talent. Certainly Fernando [Alonso, now 44] doesn't think he's any slower today than he's ever been.
"And look, I think somebody like that, if for a moment you do start believing that you haven't necessarily got what it takes anymore [that could be the end]... if you're enjoying the car and it suits you, and all of a sudden you turn that around, it's even more fuel for you, and he'll probably even over-perform beyond his natural capability."
Topics: Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Spotlight
Ryan Smart