Why Nico Rosberg says leaving Ferrari now would be a ‘loss of face’ for Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton faced a difficult debut season with Ferrari in 2025.

Nico Rosberg insists Lewis Hamilton must persevere through Ferrari struggles despite “horrible situation”

Nico Rosberg has expressed that Lewis Hamilton cannot afford to retire amid the ongoing difficulties he faced during his first season with Ferrari, describing the situation as a “horrible” one for the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion. Nico Rosberg believes the British driver must continue his career, despite widespread speculation and persistent calls for him to walk away after 19 seasons in F1.

Next year marks the final year of Lewis Hamilton’s initial contract with Ferrari, and it remains uncertain whether he will extend his stay or be offered a new deal. Expectations are mounting that if the Maranello-based team struggles at the start of the new regulations era, Lewis Hamilton could be tempted to retire after two decades in the sport.

Lewis Hamilton endured a challenging debut season with Ferrari in 2025, failing to achieve a podium finish for the first time in his F1 career. The 40-year-old was frequently frustrated and visibly disappointed in post-race media interactions, highlighting the difficulties of adapting to the SF-25 and the new team environment. Nico Rosberg noted that his former teammate had recently provided Ferrari with detailed feedback and improvement notes, something he described as a new approach from the seven-time champion.

“Back in the day, there weren’t detailed notes like this,” Nico Rosberg explained on Sky Sports F1. “But things also tended to run more smoothly. Lewis Hamilton is clearly one of the greatest drivers of all time, yet this is certainly not the way to conclude his illustrious career.”

Rosberg emphasized the unique challenges Lewis Hamilton has faced in Maranello, but stressed why retiring at this point is not an option. “At the moment, Lewis is in a really tough situation that is causing him significant stress. He’s genuinely stuck,” said Nico Rosberg, a 2016 F1 World Champion. “Walking away now would be a huge loss of face. Taking on such a major project with Ferrari and then quitting just 12 months in would not reflect well. He simply cannot retire at this stage.”

The former Mercedes teammate added that time is not on the Briton’s side and the challenges are only likely to increase. “Continuing is the only viable path. The situation is extremely difficult, and it won’t get any easier, so retirement is not a realistic option right now,” Nico Rosberg concluded.

Despite the struggles, both Nico Rosberg and the wider F1 community recognize that Lewis Hamilton still has the skill, experience, and determination to overcome Ferrari’s early-season hurdles and potentially restore the team to championship contention in the upcoming 2026 season.