Lewis Hamilton is ‘hurt’ by what he heard his former F1 rivals say about his first season at Ferrari

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Lewis Hamilton endured the worst season of his Formula 1 career after joining Ferrari in 2025, but he now begins term two and the 2026 regulations era with “high hopes”.

The 41-year-old moved to Maranello in the last year of the ground-effect regulations in a bid to revive his stuttering career. Instead, Hamilton failed to score a single Grand Prix podium in a season for the first time, and set his worst total under F1’s points system in use since 2010.

Hamilton agreed to join Ferrari in February 2024 after he went winless in 2022 and 2023, as Mercedes continued to struggle under the ground-effect regulations introduced in 2022. He scored two wins for Mercedes in 2024, but then only scored 156 points with Ferrari in 2024.

Team principal Fred Vasseur’s decision to stop the development of Ferrari’s 2025 car in April to prioritise the 2026 F1 regulations was costly for Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc’s efforts last year. Now, the Scuderia hope their sacrifice pays off entering the new rules cycle.

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Lewis Hamilton was ‘hurt’ by many of his former F1 rivals saying he should retire

Hamilton also enters F1’s 2026 regulations era with a new sense of purpose, as Blick reports that ‘new demons’ have ‘awakened’ within the seven-time champion. He is desperate to get his career back on track this season, as he refuses to retire on a low like he suffered in 2025.

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Many F1 pundits suggested that Hamilton should retire after the 2025 campaign, which the Stevenage-born star admitted was a “nightmare”. He lost 19-5 to Leclerc in their Grand Prix qualifying head-to-head duel and 18-3 in their Grand Prix results head-to-head last season.

Hearing many of his former rival drivers suggest that he should retire ‘hurt’ Hamilton, as he still hopes to vie for a record-setting eighth F1 drivers’ championship. The 2026 regulations may help Hamilton bounce back, as the new cars are expected to suit his driving style more.

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Hamilton has been fully ingrained in the development of Ferrari’s debut car for the 2026 F1 regulations. The record 105-time Grand Prix winner was even in the Scuderia’s simulator “at least once a week” over the winter to help the team put the finishing touches on the SF-26.

How competitive the SF-26 proves to be when the 2026 season starts in Australia on March 6-8 will ultimately determine whether Hamilton made a mistake committing to another year at Ferrari or not. If the SF-26 does prove to be another dud, then retirement will likely await.

Hamilton has not had a sniff at the title fight since the end of the 2021 season, when he was cruelly denied an eighth title in Abu Dhabi by Max Verstappen because of how Michael Masi handled the late restart. But the 2026 rules could help Hamilton get back into the title fight.