Lewis Hamilton was, up until around five years ago, the hottest property on the Formula 1 market. Every team on the grid would have jumped at the chance to sign him.
But Hamilton’s reputation has suffered since the start of F1’s ground-effect era in 2022. He was outscored that year by Mercedes newcomer George Russell.
While he struck back in 2023 by finishing a commendable third, 2024 was his worst season yet. He dropped out of the top six in the standings for the first time and completely lost his way in qualifying, where Russell beat him in 19 out of 24 races.
Hamilton felt ‘reinvigorated’ when he joined Ferrari but this year has been a continuation of those themes in many respects. Charles Leclerc is leading him 16-6 in competitive sessions, and has scored all three of the team’s podiums.
| RACE | Q | R |
| AUS | 10 | 8 |
| CHN | 5 | DSQ |
| JPN | 8 | 7 |
| BAH | 9 | 5 |
| SAU | 7 | 7 |
| MIA | 12 | 8 |
| EMI | 12 | 4 |
| MON | 7 | 5 |
| ESP | 5 | 6 |
| CAN | 5 | 6 |
The 40-year-old is 25 points behind his teammate and has often faded into obscurity on Sundays. Some have wondered whether predecessor Carlos Sainz would be unlocking more from an admittedly recalcitrant SF-25.
Ferrari rivals now have little interest in poaching Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton’s Ferrari contract runs until the end of 2026, though it contains the option for a further year if both parties are satisfied. The seven-time world champion said prior to the Canadian GP that he plans to stay with the Scuderia for ‘several’ years.
If indeed he wants to continue racing beyond the end of next year, he will first evaluate his options. Amid optimism over former team Mercedes, Ferrari’s 2026 engine is an unknown – and the team’s competitiveness will factor heavily into his decision.
Mercedes are about to hand George Russell a new contract, potentially setting up a long-term partnership with Kimi Antonelli. Meanwhile, Red Bull see Arvid Lindblad as Max Verstappen’s future teammate and also have the exciting Isack Hadjar on their books.
Hamilton’s first F1 team, McLaren, have proudly stated that they have F1’s best line-up in Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Both have recently signed lengthy extensions.
“Hamilton has a contract [at Ferrari], so he can’t get away more or less,” veteran German journalist Michael Schmidt said on the Formel Schmidt podcast. “There is no-one at the moment who would poach him, anywhere.”
Lando Norris shows how much he respects Lewis Hamilton at F1 movie premiere
There are still plenty of reasons to sign Hamilton. He produced a vintage display in the China Sprint race, which he won from pole, and also showed his class by charging from 12th to fourth at Imola.
His recent results have been solid if underwhelming, with four top-six finishes in a row. Many would still rank him among the top drivers on the grid.
But he’s also extraordinarily expensive. Hamilton could earn up to £83m per year under his Ferrari contract, by far the biggest deal on the grid.
He will always command respect as the most successful F1 driver ever. Indeed, Norris says he can’t ‘even dream of’ emulating Hamilton, having previously played down his achievements.
