F1 paddock figures feared Lewis Hamilton would quit Ferrari before the 2026 summer break

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F1 paddock figures have changed their minds about Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future after a positive winter, according to a report.

Hamilton endured arguably the toughest stretch of his career at the end of the 2025 season. He ended the year with three straight Q1 exits and six consecutive qualifying eliminations.

The seven-time world champion scored 14 points in the last five weekends of the year, even though two of them featured a Sprint. As noted by The Telegraph, his demeanour had become ‘miserable’.

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F1 insiders had serious doubts about Lewis Hamilton’s future before testing

Hamilton appeared so demotivated that people in the paddock were unsure whether he would even complete the 2026 season. Some doubted that he would make it to the European leg of the season (which starts in early June with the Monaco Grand Prix).

Others questioned whether he would return after the summer break. Hamilton’s contract runs until the end of the season, and there is believed to be an option for 2027.

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There was a genuine belief in some quarters that the 41-year-old could ‘put himself out of his misery’ if Ferrari didn’t deliver a contending car. Even the far more comfortable Charles Leclerc couldn’t win races in the SF-25.

However, the narrative has changed after a positive winter for the Scuderia. After Leclerc set by far the fastest time of testing to go along with some impressive race simulations, the team are seen as genuine contenders.

Martin Brundle’s Australian GP prediction shows how far Lewis Hamilton has fallen

Anthony Davidson said Hamilton finally looked ‘at home’ in the Ferrari during testing, though the first competitive weekend of the season in Australia will naturally be the true test.

Davidson’s Sky Sports colleague David Croft wants to see Hamilton win another title before he retires, and it should quickly become clear whether he is at the level required.

However, Martin Brundle has predicted that Leclerc will win in Australia, with Hamilton missing out on the podium entirely. It’s unlikely that Brundle intended this as a deliberate snub, but it shows how far the Briton has fallen.

As recently as a few years ago, such a prediction was unheard of. If given the tools, Hamilton would automatically be in contention, and his teammate would find it extremely difficult to keep up with him.