Timeline issued for Lewis Hamilton retirement

A timeline has been mapped out for Lewis Hamilton’s F1 retirement by a former F1 team principal, after his woeful first season at Ferrari.

Heading into the summer break, the future of the seven-time world champion has been on everyone’s lips from fans to pundits, with former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner also now weighing in on Hamilton’s career.

Speaking about Hamilton’s move to Ferrari with Web.de, Steiner pondered the fairytale switch that hasn’t quite worked out. While he hoped the 40-year-old could turn his performances around after the summer break, he also suggested when the champion could retire.

"Lewis struggled with the new ground-effect cars from the start, and in 2026 there will be new cars, new engines, and no one knows who will be strong then,” Steiner said.

"Maybe he'll say, 'I'll try, but if that doesn't work either, then it's over'. And not overnight: if he wanted to retire, he would give it plenty of time so the team could find a replacement."

Who could replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari?

Naturally, alongside talk over whether Hamilton will retire early, there has also been speculation about who could replace him at Ferrari.

The man replaced by Hamilton in 2024 has emerged as one of the obvious options, with Carlos Sainz struggling in his first season with Williams against team-mate Alex Albon.

Sainz maintained a respectful and complimentary attitude to Ferrari despite his abrupt sacking, retaining a good relationship with the team in the event he could return to the Scuderia some day.

Ferrari also have their former junior driver Ollie Bearman to choose from, although his performances in his rookie season with Haas haven’t exactly blown the paddock away.

Attracting a driver of high calibre may be difficult for Ferrari, with the team representing a poisoned chalice after their failure to win a title of any kind since 2008.

When asked if the car was an influence on Hamilton’s problems in 2025, Steiner suggested that the best drivers need to be able to adapt to difficult machinery.

"Of course, the car always plays a role. But this is Formula 1, and a top driver has to be able to handle what he's given," Steiner continued.

"If a car is difficult to drive in certain areas, then it's up to the driver to adapt, not the other way around. The car is good. I wouldn't make any excuses for Lewis."

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton issues Ferrari demands as Marko orders driver to QUIT series

READ MORE: Inside Hamilton's staggering $450M net worth: Ferrari salary, real estate value & more

READ MORE: F1 drivers height: How tall are Hamilton, Verstappen and Tsunoda

READ MORE: 'I was a poor driving instructor living on a farm and now I’m an F1 billionaire

Related