Former Ferrari star tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton in seismic U-turn

Lewis Hamilton has been tipped to be replaced by former Ferrari star Carlos Sainz, in what would be an embarrassing u-turn for the Maranello-based outfit.

Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton displaced the in-form Sainz at the end of the 2024 season, in one of the most shocking driver transfers in the history of the sport.

It meant that Sainz, who claimed two race victories in 2024 as Ferrari came within 11 points of claiming constructors' championship success, had to move to Williams, with no other 'big team' options available for the Spaniard.

Since then, however, Hamilton has failed to make any kind of impression on the most successful team in F1 history, not even claiming a single grand prix podium in his first 14 race weekends.

Sainz has also struggled trying to adapt to his new Williams team, sat down in 16th in the drivers' championship, eight places and 38 points behind team-mate Alex Albon.

Following Hamilton's comments at the Hungarian Grand Prix when he suggested that Ferrari should consider replacing him before the end of his contract, former F1 racer Johnny Herbert has been weighing up who would replace the seven-time champion.

"I don’t think it would be Verstappen," Herbert told Grosvenor Casinos. "It could be one of the younger drivers, I guess. But I saw a little interview with Carlos Sainz, and he said when asked if he would go back to Ferrari, he replied, ‘Yeah, maybe!’

"Carlos was doing an absolutely brilliant job and was really keeping Charles under control. He's still young. He's still doing a good job, even if he’s struggling with Williams a bit. But we know how good he was when he was at Ferrari."

Will Hamilton leave Ferrari early?

Hamilton's rather downbeat interviews in recent weeks have led some paddock personnel to speculate as to whether Hamilton will still be a Ferrari driver in 2026.

Ralf Schumacher, for example, recently backed Hamilton to make an immediate decision to retire from the sport, while Damon Hill suggested that it is difficult to know when the time may be up on your F1 career.

One thing is for sure, though, Hamilton's performances need to drastically improve ahead of the all-important 2026 season, when new regulations may offer a chance for Ferrari to make a jump on their rivals.

Hamilton will hope that the newly-designed 2026 cars will be better suited to his driving talents, with the 40-year-old only having claimed two grands prix wins since the most recent regulations came into play in 2022.

For Sainz, it will be all about whether his Williams team are able to provide him with a car capable of challenging nearer to the front, following his unfortunate displacement from the Ferrari setup.

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