Herbert believes Lewis Hamilton enjoys racing, yet Leclerc’s rise is causing retirement questions. Johnny Herbert says Lewis Hamilton still enjoys racing.

The opinion of the former British driver
“I’m useless, Ferrari should change driver.” Lewis Hamilton made this harsh self-criticism after being eliminated in Q2 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, driving the Ferrari SF-25 that later secured pole position with Charles Leclerc behind the wheel.

Hamilton’s long-awaited arrival at the ‘Red Planet’ has not gone as he or Ferrari fans had hoped, and according to Johnny Herbert, no scenario should be ruled out, even the most drastic one. “Hamilton’s outburst? Lewis is very honest when he speaks and doesn’t hold back criticism of himself,” the former driver told Grosvenor Casino. “He is frustrated because he can’t achieve the performance he wants or that he had when he was at the top of the sport, but he still enjoys racing, which is very important mentally because it means he still has motivation.

“A year ago, when he won at Silverstone, he openly admitted that he had begun to doubt he could win again. This means that for quite some time, Hamilton has been aware—and at the same time doubtful—that he might no longer be as competitive as he wants to be. Added to this is the comparison with his teammate, and Leclerc is showing the best version of himself: consistent and error-free.

“On top of all this, we must not forget Hamilton’s age. It’s not that competitiveness drops off in a specific year—it varies from driver to driver—but it’s natural to lose freshness and flexibility in adapting one’s driving style to a particular car or generation of cars like the ground effect models introduced in 2022.

“So it is normal that at some point Hamilton might also consider retirement—a very difficult decision, especially because one wonders if the time is really right. If things don’t work out or improve, perhaps he will come to the conclusion that it’s time to move on and try other things in his life.”