F1 legends Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso urged to retire - 'Give youth a chance'

A composite image split down the middle with Alonso in Aston Martin green with a green background on the left and Hamilton in Ferrari red with a red background on the right. Both are serious headshots with their cars behind them — Photo: © IMAGO

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Hamilton and Alonso urged to retire from F1 - 'Give youth a chance'

Is it time for Hamilton and Alonso to call it quits?

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 11 May 2026 14:00

F1 champions and legends of the sport Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have been told they should retire and allow their seats to be given to younger drivers.

Hamilton and Alonso have nine drivers' championships between them but are now enduring a more difficult period in their esteemed careers thanks to struggles at Ferrari and Aston Martin.

What's more is that both drivers are now in their forties, but whilst rumours have spread that a retirement announcement could be on the horizon for Hamilton, Alonso has remained adamant that he will not depart Aston Martin until he has been able to achieve a respectable result out of his new machinery.

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The pair who once battled each other as McLaren team-mates have spent most of the 2026 campaign nowhere near each other out on track.

Alonso's squad may have welcomed F1 design guru Adrian Newey to their ranks ahead of 2026, but that hasn't stopped Aston Martin's cars from being practically undriveable for most of the season so far.

Newey, Aston Martin, and new power unit providers Honda are only just beginning to unpack their issues, with the Miami Grand Prix last time out marking the first time this year that both drivers actually finished the race.

Hamilton on the other hand did manage to get off to a better start in red this season after a disappointing debut Ferrari campaign, but one former driver doesn't think the British star has much chance at beating team-mate Charles Leclerc as the season develops.

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Ralf Schumacher calls for F1 retirements: 'Give young people a chance'

Speaking on the Sky Germany F1 podcast Backstage Boxengasse, ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher weighed in on Hamilton's chances against Leclerc in his second season in red.

"Hamilton is in a better position again this year. But over the course of the season, he won’t stand a chance against Leclerc," said the six-time grand prix winner.

Schumacher then turned his attention to Hamilton's future, calling for the seven-time champion to retire so that his seat could be handed to Haas driver Ollie Bearman, who is still associated with the Ferrari Driver Academy.

"It’s time – and I have to say the same about Fernando Alonso: Hamilton and Alonso have had a wonderful time in Formula 1. But now it’s time for both of them to vacate their cockpits at the end of the year and give young people a chance," said the German pundit.

Hamilton finally brought an end to his podium drought at the Chinese GP back in March, and referring to the superstar's improved form, Schumacher added: "What he’s done again this year – a sort of comeback – is brilliant. But I reckon everything comes to an end, except for sausages."

"I believe it’s time to let the youngsters have a go. Oliver Bearman deserves the chance to sit in a Ferrari. And I also believe that, if he gets the chance, he’ll even pose a challenge to Charles Leclerc. I’m pretty sure of that. So I’d say he’s actually better."

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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F1 Lewis Hamilton Fernando Alonso Ralf Schumacher