Lewis Hamilton says he wants to completely disappear over the winter break after what he called a “nightmare” year at Ferrari. The seven-time world champion had the worst season of his career, finishing the year without a single podium. He joked that he will throw his phone away and stay “unplugged from the matrix” because of how draining the year has been.
Hamilton joined Ferrari hoping to win his eighth world title, but things went wrong quickly. The Ferrari car wasn’t competitive, he struggled to adapt to it, and the team had several problems—especially with skid wear, which forced them to choose between running the car too low (fast but illegal) or too high (slow). This issue cost Ferrari results more than once.
Hamilton also had a tough time compared to his teammate Charles Leclerc, who out-qualified him 22 times this season. That difference added pressure and frustration, leading to emotional comments after races, which team boss Frederic Vasseur usually dismissed as heat-of-the-moment reactions.
The situation became tense enough that Ferrari’s chairman, John Elkann, publicly told the drivers to “focus on driving and talk less”. But Hamilton continued to express how difficult the season has been, even saying at one point he was “not looking forward” to next year.
Despite everything, Hamilton says he is not retiring. He believes the new F1 rules coming in 2026 could help Ferrari reset and become competitive again. Ferrari also shifted their focus early to the 2026 car, which Hamilton supported, even though it meant poor performance this year.
Still, there are questions. This is the second year in a row he’s been beaten by a younger teammate, and unlike past seasons, there were almost no standout “Hamilton magic” moments—apart from his sprint win in China.
Some in Formula 1 wonder whether his struggles are due to the car, Ferrari’s operations, or simply age, as he turns 41soon. But other older drivers, like Fernando Alonso, have shown that age doesn’t guarantee decline.
What happens next—whether Hamilton can return to top form, and whether Ferrari can finally give him a winning car—will be one of the big stories of F1 in 2026.
