Lewis Hamilton’s comments after a difficult qualifying session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the Ferrari driver called himself “useless” and suggested that the team needed another driver, drew attention around the Formula 1 world.
His harsh assessment of his performance continued on Sunday.
After finishing 12th in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hamilton was asked about those comments by Sky Sports F1, and he offered a cryptic response about both his level of performance and his F1 future.
“When you have a feeling, you have a feeling. There’s a lot going on in the background that is not great,” said Hamilton to Sky Sports F1.
Formula 1 living legend Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult Hungarian Grand Prix. Ferrari’s newest driver qualified 12th at the Hungaroring, a track where he has qualified on pole position more than any other driver in the sport’s history, and he questioned whether the team should look for a different driver after that session. Then, after he finished 12th in the Grand Prix itself, Hamilton outlined that he would “hopefully” be back after the mandated summer shutdown.
Now, another of the sport’s biggest figures is wondering about his future.
Bernie Ecclestone, who led the sport for four decades before it was sold to Liberty Media in 2017, told The Daily Mail that Hamilton has only one way to go in the sport.
“Lewis is very talented, was, and probably still is. But like a lot of leading sports personalities, when they reach the top, there is only one way to go, and it’s not a good direction. It’s only down,” began Ecclestone.
“They get tired. Lewis is tired. He’s been doing what he is doing forever. He needs a rest from it for good, a total reset to do something completely different. He may not think it but he will soon get used to doing other stuff away from motor racing in retirement. I think he should have done it a while ago,” added the former F1 boss. “The guy is not a cheat. But he would be cheating himself if he goes on. He should stop now.”
Hamilton joined Ferrari to much fanfare ahead of the 2025 season, but his performance has not matched the pre-season expectations. Aside from a win in the F1 Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, he has not tasted victory in red. Aside from the win in Shanghai and a third-place finish in the F1 Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix, he has not reached a grand prix podium.
Ecclestone went as far as to say that if he were representing Hamilton, he would approach Ferrari about a potential separation right now.
“If I were looking after him I would negotiate with Ferrari immediately and say, ‘If you have someone to replace Lewis, he’ll step aside.’”
However, someone with a bit more knowledge of Hamilton’s current ability took a completely opposing view during the Hungarian Grand Prix. Toto Wolff, Hamilton’s boss at Mercedes for years, believes that the seven-time Drivers’ Champion has “unfinished business” in the sport, a nod to the dramatic title fight with Max Verstappen in 2021 that came down to the final laps of the season.
“Lewis has unfinished business in F1, in the same way that Mercedes underperformed over this last over this latest set of regulations since 2022, we kind of never got happy with ground effect cars,” said Wolff to Sky Sports F1.
”In the same way, maybe it’s linked to driving style.
“He shouldn’t go anywhere. Next year we have brand-new cars, completely different to drive new power units that need an intelligent way of managing the energy,” added the Mercedes boss. “That’s absolutely on for Lewis. I hope he stays on for many more years, and certainly next year is going to be important one.”
Pressed on whether Hamilton could win that elusive eighth title, Wolff made it clear that if he has confidence in his machinery, he can reach the pinnacle of F1 yet again.
“If he has a car that gives him confidence and does what he wants, then yes,” began Wolff. “If he has a car that is not giving him the feedback that he wants, and that was the series of the past few years, and it seems to be in the Ferrari even worse, then no.
“But you ask me whether he has it, he definitely has it.”
Wolff was not the only major figure in the current F1 world to back Hamilton. Stefano Domenicali, the current President and CEO of Formula 1, also backed Hamilton over the weekend.
“First of all, Lewis is a jewel, he is an incredible athlete, so no matter if it is a difficult moment, he will react, and I’m pretty sure he will show the reason why he is here,” noted Domenicali to Sky Sports F1.
“He wants to achieve his eighth title, and he will triumph again. So, stay with Lewis and he will do a great race, and be very, very strong after the summer [break].”
Hamilton is a seven-time Drivers’ Champion and has shown in spurts this season that he can fight at the front, and some of the major figures in the sport back the champion to return to the sharp end of the grid.
But at least one of F1’s icons is not so sure.
