Schumacher trusts Hamilton to make IMMEDIATE F1 retirement call

Sky F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher has doubled down on comments from earlier in the year in which he suggested Lewis Hamilton could retire at the end of this season.

40-year-old Hamilton moved to Ferrari at the beginning of the year, but has suffered a dismal season, currently sat down in sixth in the drivers' championship having not claimed a single main race podium, while his team-mate Charles Leclerc has secured five in 2025.

Hamilton is contracted until the end of the 2026 season, but the Brit suggested during an incredibly downbeat interview at the Hungarian Grand Prix that he was 'useless', even suggesting that his team should sack him after qualifying down in 12th.

Now, Schumacher has suggested that an immediate decision could be made on Hamilton's future, doubling down on comments earlier in the year that he made about an early retirement for the seven-time champion.

"He's not really getting to grips with the car," Schumacher said on Sky Sports Germany. "He doesn't really know how to handle it. He obviously can't completely change his driving style.

"That's exactly what I said at the beginning of the year. If things continue like this, there will come a time when Ferrari will have to choose one driver and can't build a car for both. And then things will get tight. Now he's starting to doubt himself more and more."

When asked whether he thought Hamilton was thinking about his immediate future, Schumacher said: "Yes, that's a trend, and it's happening very, very quickly. "Personally, I've had the same experience. That was in the DTM, where I said: 'Okay, there's no point in this anymore.' I handed the car in a year early. I trust him to be able to do it and to do it. Because it's such a bitter disappointment, and he doesn't know what to do.

"Not immediately, of course, but something like that can always happen."

Will Hamilton retire?

Following a Hungarian GP where he could not improve on that 12th-place qualifying position, Hamilton said that there was 'a lot going on in the background that isn't great', leading some to suggest that he could mean that his future beyond the end of this season is not certain.

There are wholesale regulation changes coming to the sport in 2026, and Ferrari need to ensure they have the best possible driver lineup in their cars for what will be a crucial year.

For Hamilton, it could be a fresh start. The ground effect cars that have been in F1 since 2022 have clearly not been suited to Hamilton's skills, with the Brit only having won two races since the ground effect era started.

Both car designs and power unit rules will undergo huge changes in 2026, which may lead to Hamilton being able to have a fresh start, in the second year of his current Ferrari contract.

While both Schumacher and Hamilton's comments throughout the weekend suggested that the seven-time champion may not be racing for Ferrari in 2026, there is no suggestion at this stage that the Maranello outfit will be looking to replace Hamilton.

READ MORE: F1 driver salaries: What stars including Hamilton and Verstappen earn

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton admits Ferrari issues as Verstappen blasts Hungarian GP investigation

F1 RESULTS: McLaren title rivals stage thriller as Hamilton hits rock bottom

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

Lewis Hamilton admits 'that wasn't the best version of me' after criticising Ferrari

• 36 minutes ago

Lewis Hamilton opens up on Ferrari 'frustration' after team-mate battle ruins podium chances

• Today 08:59

F1 star is set to lose his job and Ferrari and McLaren are in a fight to replace him with 'their guy'

• 2 hours ago

Ferrari flops and Max misery: Five F1 things we learned from the Dutch Grand Prix

• 3 hours ago

F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton fumes at Ferrari as stars hit with huge Dutch Grand Prix penalties

• Today 16:30

Ferrari unleash multiple upgrades at Dutch GP as Lewis Hamilton steps up F1 title bid

• August 21, 2026 15:30