Günther Steiner has shared his thoughts on Lewis Hamilton’s current situation and has also made a clear prediction about Ferrari’s prospects in the 2026 Formula 1 season. The former Haas team principal believes that Lewis Hamilton would be able to rediscover his world championship form almost immediately if Scuderia Ferrari were to provide him with a genuinely competitive car under the new regulations.
It is no secret that the 2025 season was one to forget for the British driver. Lewis Hamilton endured the most difficult campaign of his entire Formula 1 career, finishing the championship in sixth place, a result that fell well short of the expectations that surrounded his move to Maranello.
At the start of the year, expectations were extremely high, both inside and outside the team. However, the SF-25 ultimately failed to live up to those ambitions. From the very first races, the car proved to be problematic, and a combination of technical issues, driver mistakes and team errors made the entire season particularly complicated. This was especially true for the seven-time world champion, who ended the year with an unprecedented run of three consecutive Q1 eliminations. Remarkably, it was the first time in Ferrari’s history that such a situation had occurred.
Despite the spectacular podium finishes achieved by Charles Leclerc, the overall performance of the car did not improve as the season progressed. Even the Monegasque driver struggled throughout the 2025 campaign, and disappointments were not lacking on his side of the garage either. Nevertheless, Ferrari had anticipated this scenario to some extent. Early in the season, once it became clear that a title challenge was out of reach, the Maranello-based team decided to shift its focus towards the 2026 project rather than continuing to invest heavily in the development of the SF-25.
This strategic choice undoubtedly made life more difficult for both drivers in the short term, but it could pave the way for a very positive surprise when the new technical era begins. The sacrifice of immediate performance was made with the clear objective of being far more competitive when the new regulations come into force.
Guenther Steiner’s predictions
Reflecting on Lewis Hamilton’s situation at Ferrari, Guenther Steiner underlined that the British driver would only need a reasonably competitive car to rediscover his best form on track.
“I believe that if Ferrari has a good car next season, it will be possible,” said the 60-year-old when speaking about the British champion. “We must never forget that he has a very strong team-mate in Charles Leclerc. Leclerc has been on the podium a few times, but he hasn’t won a race. With this car, however, a podium finish was a respectable result.”
“If they are more competitive next season, Lewis will be able to find his motivation again,” Guenther Steiner explained in comments reported by the Austrian newspaper Krone.
However, according to Guenther Steiner, there is also another possible scenario for 2026, one in which Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari could be ready to go their separate ways if the season were to mirror the difficulties experienced in 2025.
“But if things continue like this, next season will definitely be his last in Formula 1. He has no intention of putting himself through something like this again. For him, the situation is very difficult, as has clearly emerged from every interview. So it will be a crucial season for him,” concluded the former Haas team principal.
The weight of the 2026 project therefore rests not just on Ferrari’s engineers, but on the legacy of F1’s most successful driver. If Maranello delivers, we could see a historic renaissance; if they fail, Steiner’s prediction of a premature retirement for Lewis Hamilton may become a reality.
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