Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future under scrutiny as Montoya warns of Alonso-like nightmare
Lewis Hamilton’s long-term future in Formula 1 beyond the 2026 season is now under serious debate. Despite repeatedly expressing his commitment to Ferrari, insiders and pundits suggest that a repeat of his difficult debut season at Maranello would be unacceptable for both the seven-time world champion and the Scuderia.
Lewis Hamilton signed a three-year contract when joining Ferrari, but sources indicate that only the first two years are guaranteed, meaning a critical review of his partnership with the team is expected during this season. The stakes are high: a breakthrough year is essential for Hamilton to justify continuing with the Italian outfit. His first campaign yielded no podiums, leaving fans and analysts concerned about his motivation going forward.
On a recent episode of the ‘MontoyAS’ podcast, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya analyzed Hamilton’s situation while speaking with ESPN reporter Albert Fabrega. Montoya highlighted that unless Hamilton achieves significant success with Ferrari this season, he may lose the drive to continue racing, drawing a parallel with Fernando Alonso’s struggles in a previous era.
Montoya compared Hamilton’s current scenario at Ferrari to Alonso’s ill-fated return to McLaren in 2015. After leaving Ferrari at the end of 2014, Alonso rejoined McLaren as the team rekindled its partnership with Honda. While Ferrari began winning races with Sebastian Vettel, Alonso was hampered by an underpowered Honda V6 engine. He finished 17th in the championship that year with only 11 points and remained in the midfield for the following three seasons. The frustration was so high that Alonso famously criticized the Honda power unit over team radio, describing it as a “GP2 engine.” Montoya suggested that Hamilton’s current challenges at Ferrari bear striking resemblance to Alonso’s struggles during that period, calling the situation a “horrible mess.”
Fabrega added that if Hamilton experiences a season similar to his debut campaign, it would be unlikely for him to continue in Formula 1 for many more years. He emphasized that Hamilton has already achieved nearly everything he set out to accomplish in the sport, implying that without tangible progress at Ferrari, extending his career would be difficult.
Montoya and Fabrega both drew attention to Alonso’s own career trajectory: after leaving Ferrari, Alonso nominally retired at the end of 2018 but returned in 2021, first with Alpine and now entering his fourth season with Aston Martin, approaching his 45th birthday.
Meanwhile, Ferrari have already acted decisively behind the scenes in response to Lewis Hamilton’s disappointing first year. Race engineer Riccardo Adami has been reassigned, with an internal replacement set to take over, though the official announcement has yet to be made. According to Sky Italia, this change is part of a broader “multi-level reshuffle of personnel” at Maranello, aimed at strengthening the team structure and improving performance.
Hamilton’s former team, Mercedes, enters the 2026 season as the bookmakers’ favourites, raising the pressure even further. If Alonso came to regret his move over a decade ago,
Juan Pablo Montoya warns that Hamilton could find himself in a similar predicament if Ferrari fail to deliver the results he needs. The coming months will be critical in determining whether Hamilton can re-establish his dominance or face another season that threatens to undermine his motivation and legacy in Formula 1.
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