Seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton has publicly addressed swirling retirement rumors reignited by his turbulent start to the 2025 season with Ferrari. The Briton, who left Mercedes after a historic 12-year stint to join the Scuderia, has struggled to replicate his past dominance, managing finishes of 10th in Australia, sixth in China, seventh in Japan, fifth in Bahrain, and seventh in Saudi Arabia.
His lone highlight—a sprint race win in Shanghai—contrasts sharply with a seventh-place standing in the Drivers’ Championship (31 points). As whispers of an early exit grow louder, Hamilton has broken his silence on the speculation, offering clarity on his future.
Lewis Hamilton’s defiant response to retirement chatter
Hamilton, 40, dismissed talks of hanging up his helmet, vowing to persevere through Ferrari’s rocky campaign.
“Please keep your fingers crossed. I’m not going to give up,” he declared at a recent London event, channeling his trademark resilience. “We’re going to keep getting better. Still we rise, right?”
The statement came days after he admitted his Ferrari stint has been “painful,” with no quick fixes in sight for the SF-25’s balance and tire management issues.
The rumors gained traction when ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher speculated Hamilton might retire if results don’t improve. Yet Lewis Hamilton’s resolve remains unshaken, even as teammate Charles Leclerc outpaces him consistently—most notably by 30 seconds in Jeddah. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur echoed this steadfastness, asserting, “I will be 2,000% behind him. We’ll work to find solutions.”
Ferrari’s technical quandaries
Hamilton’s woes stem partly from Ferrari’s car setup challenges. Since China, where he was disqualified from the main race for excessive skid-block wear, the team has run the car higher than optimal, sacrificing performance for compliance. This adjustment has exacerbated handling issues, leaving Hamilton battling an unpredictable machine.
Vasseur acknowledged the SF-25’s “negative spot” but emphasized untapped potential:
“Lewis’ speed in Bahrain and China shows the car’s capability. We just need to refine the balance.”
The Frenchman dismissed notions of 2025 being a “transitional year,” stressing Lewis Hamilton’s disappointment is a mark of his competitive fire:
“If he were happy with seventh, that’d be abnormal.”
Charles Leclerc’s shadow and the mental toll
Hamilton’s adaptation to Ferrari has been complicated by Leclerc’s strong form. The Monegasque driver has outperformed Hamilton in qualifying by margins as wide as 0.311 seconds, compounding the pressure. Hamilton’s admission that Ferrari’s brass is “not happy” with his results underscores the mental grind of living up to sky-high expectations.
Yet Fred Vasseur, who mentored Hamilton during his 2006 GP2 title run, remains optimistic.
“His racecraft is intact,” he noted, pointing to Lewis Hamilton’s recovery drives in Bahrain and China. “We’re aligned on fixing this together.”
With the Miami Grand Prix hosting the season’s second sprint race, Hamilton faces a critical chance to reset. A strong showing could quiet critics and rekindle momentum.