Martin Brundle’s verdict: can Lewis Hamilton recover after a disastrous first year at Ferrari?. Lewis Hamilton faces growing uncertainty after a difficult first Ferrari season.

Lewis Hamilton faces major questions over his Formula 1 future after a bruising first year with Ferrari

The arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari was expected to mark the beginning of a new era for the Italian team, but the 2025 Formula 1 season instead produced a set of unwanted records for the seven-time world champion. For the first time in his long career, Lewis Hamilton completed an entire campaign without a single Grand Prix podium, symbolising the scale of Ferrari’s struggles.

The Scuderia endured one of their most disappointing seasons in recent memory. The final weekend in Abu Dhabi captured the narrative perfectly: Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 for the fourth race in a row and crossed the finish line in eighth place, while Charles Leclerc fought aggressively at the front and narrowly missed the podium in fourth. The contrast between the two Ferrari drivers only intensified the scrutiny surrounding Lewis Hamilton and his future in Formula 1.

With Ferrari nowhere near the championship battle and Lando Norris cruising to his first title, the conversation around Lewis Hamilton has shifted dramatically. Although Ferrari signed him on a three-year contract after leaving Mercedes, the disappointing 2025 campaign raised inevitable questions about whether he intends to continue into 2026 and the new regulation cycle.

Martin Brundle and Nico Rosberg analyse Lewis Hamilton’s career crossroads

During a recent Sky Sports F1 broadcast, Martin Brundle and Nico Rosberg discussed the alarming downward trend in Lewis Hamilton’s results and the potential long-term implications. The pair noted that the continued decline in performance is beginning to erode his statistical legacy and that such a difficult year cannot simply be ignored when evaluating his next move.

Nico Rosberg suggested that the emotional and competitive impact of such a challenging season could easily make a driver consider retirement, but he also pointed out that walking away after just one year at Ferrari would be completely out of character for someone of Lewis Hamilton’s determination. He felt strongly that abandoning the Ferrari project so early would conflict with the purpose that motivated Lewis Hamilton to join the team in the first place.

Martin Brundle, meanwhile, offered a more cautious perspective. He suggested that Lewis Hamilton would likely reserve judgment until seeing Ferrari’s direction for the 2026 rule changes. The F1 commentator argued that the true turning point will come next season, when the team introduces an entirely new concept built around redesigned aerodynamics and a revamped power unit package.

Both pundits agreed that while Lewis Hamilton’s race craft occasionally shone through in 2025, his qualifying pace was a persistent weakness. They noted that losing time relative to Charles Leclerc on Saturdays often put Hamilton on the back foot for the rest of the weekend. With sweeping technical changes arriving in 2026, there remains hope that a fundamentally different car might allow the Briton to rediscover some of his one-lap speed.

Lewis Hamilton sends encouragement to Lando Norris and hints at his intentions

More than three years have passed since the dramatic finale in Abu Dhabi in 2021, when Lewis Hamilton came within a corner of securing an eighth world title. Mercedes never recovered competitiveness during his final seasons with the team, and Ferrari’s decline during 2025 pushed the 40-year-old even further from title contention.

Despite the disappointment, Lewis Hamilton displayed the same sportsmanship that has defined much of his career, congratulating Lando Norris on becoming Britain’s newest Formula 1 world champion. His post-race radio messages to Ferrari also hinted that he is not considering stepping away just yet. Hamilton gave every indication that he intends to see the project through for at least one more season.

The 2026 campaign will be decisive. If Ferrari can provide Lewis Hamilton with a competitive car that allows him to fight more closely with Charles Leclerc and close the gap to the front, his motivation to continue is likely to remain strong. But another year spent fighting in the midfield could accelerate his exit from the sport, particularly if the internal performance deficit to the Monegasque driver widens.

For now, Formula 1 fans, pundits and Ferrari supporters alike are left waiting to see whether one of the sport’s greatest champions can rediscover his spark—or whether the 2025 season marked the first sign that his legendary career is reaching its final chapters.