Qualifying Dead Last for the Las Vegas GP Adds to Evidence Lewis Hamilton Needs to Hang It Up

The neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip have always promised reinvention, but for Lewis Hamilton (pictured), the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying session delivered a harsh reality check instead. Starting dead last—P20 on a chaotic, rain-slicked grid—the seven-time world champion’s Q1 elimination wasn’t just a bad day at the office. It was a glaring symptom of a deeper decline, one that’s been building since his fairy-tale switch to Ferrari.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

At 40 years old, with a multi-year contract that’s starting to look like a millstone, the evidence is mounting: it’s time for Hamilton to step aside, preserving his legacy before it unravels further.

This isn’t hyperbole born from one wet-weather wipeout. It’s the culmination of a 2025 season where Hamilton has been outclassed by teammate Charles Leclerc, haunted by whispers of irrelevance, and reminded—yet again—that his golden era at Mercedes was as much about engineering wizardry as personal brilliance. Fans, pundits, and even F1 royalty are saying it outright: the GOAT might be grazing in the pastures of retirement.

A Nightmare Under the Lights: Q1 Exit in Vegas

Qualifying for the Las Vegas GP turned into a tire-shredding farce thanks to a sudden downpour that left the Strip’s smooth surface resembling a skating rink. Full wets were mandatory, grip was nonexistent, and temperatures plummeted, turning what should have been a showcase into a survival test. Hamilton, who had raved about his Ferrari feeling “awesome” in FP3’s dry conditions, found himself floundering. His first run was scruffy, plagued by understeer and cold tires that refused to bite. A final-lap push? Cut short by a yellow flag from Alex Albon’s wall-tapping moment, leaving Hamilton unable to improve.

The result: 20th place, a full second off Leclerc’s recovery drive that hauled the Monegasque into Q3 and a respectable P7 start. “I don’t really have words for it,” Hamilton admitted post-session, his voice heavy with defeat. “It’s very annoying, of course, because in P3 the car was feeling awesome and I thought it was going to be a great day… and it turned out to be the worst. It can’t get much worse than that.” He pinned it on glazed front brakes and tire woes, but excuses ring hollow when your teammate navigates the same soup to a top-10 berth.

This marks Hamilton’s second straight Q1 dump—Brazil was the painful precursor, where he lined up 13th while Leclerc snatched P3. In a weekend already tainted by Ferrari chairman John Elkann’s public jabs at the team’s inconsistency, Hamilton’s Vegas flop feels like the final straw in a season of straws.

Two years of teammates destroying him

Zoom out, and the pattern is brutal. For the second consecutive year—first at Mercedes in 2024, now at Ferrari—Hamilton has been schooled by his teammate. In 2025 alone, Leclerc has outqualified him 16-5, with Hamilton’s best being a smattering of P3s overshadowed by the youngster’s poles. The points gap? A yawning 66, with Leclerc comfortably ensconced in the top three of the drivers’ standings while Hamilton scrapes sixth.

The psychological wear is palpable. Post-Brazil, Hamilton’s radio mutterings—”Not great, not great”—dripped with resignation, and insiders whisper of late-night retirement chats amid the Maranello pressure cooker. Ferrari’s transition to a new era under Fred Vasseur demands results, not sentiment. Being the elder statesman is one thing; being the brake on progress is another. As one paddock source put it, “Lewis is giving everything, but it’s like watching a legend fight the clock—and losing.”

The “Washed Up” Chorus: Fans and Foes Pile On

Social media didn’t hold back, turning Hamilton’s misery into a meme-fest of brutal honesty. “Hamilton with a stinker… oh wait… maybe that’s where he belongs without rocketship,” one X user sniped, evoking the Mercedes dominance that once masked his every misstep. Another: “If Ferrari were a serious organization, Bearman replaces Hamilton next year.” And the kicker: “Hamilton p20 in vegas? thats some vintage bad luck, gotta dig deep tomorrow.”

The “washed up” narrative isn’t new—it’s bubbled online since his 2024 Mercedes farewell tour—but Vegas amplified it. A fresh X post captured the sentiment: “Hamilton has lost the plot as well as his way, marbles and mojo! Doesn’t he realize that it’s Over?” Echoes from forums and fan threads paint a picture of a driver whose edge has dulled, with calls for him to “hang it up” trending amid the tire smoke.

Even Ralf Schumacher, brother of the eternal benchmark, threw gasoline on the fire. “Somehow you get the feeling that the film has become almost a bit too fast for him,” he said, urging Ferrari to swap Hamilton for 20-year-old Haas sensation Ollie Bearman. “He needs too much energy to put in a fast lap. He has to give more than 100 percent to get past Leclerc, and that leads to mistakes.” Schumacher’s math is cold: Bearman, who’s racked up four straight points finishes in a midfield Haas, costs a fraction of Hamilton’s “high double-digit” millions—and offers upside without the expiration date. Pay out the contract? “Ferrari has done that before.”

The Mercedes Myth: Dominance on Borrowed Horsepower

To be fair—or unfair, depending on your view—Hamilton’s critics have long pointed to the crutch that propped up his dynasty: Mercedes’ turbo-hybrid engine. From 2014 to 2020, the Silver Arrows’ power unit wasn’t just superior; it was a cheat code. Estimates pegged their edge at up to 100 horsepower over rivals like Ferrari and Renault, thanks to innovative packaging of the compressor and turbo that unlocked packaging, aero, and energy recovery wizardry. Hamilton himself called the 2014 W05 “the best car I’ve ever driven,” and Mercedes admitted to detuning it in qualifying to avoid regulatory backlash.

All 81 of Hamilton’s wins in that span? Powered by that “rocketship,” as fans now ruefully note. Without it, the raw numbers look mortal—especially now, in a Ferrari that’s quick but unforgiving. The 2025 regs have leveled the field, exposing a driver who’s chasing shadows of his 30s self.

Time to Bow Out: Legacy Over Limbo

Hamilton’s greatness is etched in stone: seven titles, 105 wins, a social justice iconoclast who dragged F1 into the modern age. But greatness doesn’t demand clinging to the wheel past prime. Michael Schumacher retired at 37 after his Ferrari pomp; Ayrton Senna was 34 when fate intervened. At 40, with an eighth title a pipe dream and Ferrari eyeing youth like Bearman, Hamilton risks becoming the cautionary tale—the legend who overstayed.

Vegas won’t define him, but it should wake him. A sabbatical, an ambassador role, or a clean break to conquer new horizons (fashion? Activism? Hypercars?) would let the sport say goodbye on his terms. The grid moves fast; it’s time for Lewis to let it lap him gracefully. The fans who once chanted his name deserve that much—and so does he.