Formula 1 Rumor: Hamilton retirement rumor erupts, Ralf says he should ‘move on’ (2nd Update)
(GMM) Lewis Hamilton is heading into the winter break with speculation about an early Ferrari exit louder than ever, and his own words in Abu Dhabi have done little to quiet it.
The seven-time world champion has just completed one of the worst seasons of his career – no podiums in his Ferrari debut year, something no Maranello rookie has suffered in 44 years.
Now, Hamilton says he is shutting down completely.
“I don’t have a mindset for next year at the moment,” he told Sky Italia.
“I just want to switch off and not talk to anyone. Nobody will be able to reach me this winter. I won’t have my phone with me. I’m looking forward to that. Just being completely disconnected from the Matrix.”
He admitted he has never taken such a drastic approach before. “I’ve never put the phone in the damn bin for a winter, I don’t think. But I will now.”
Those comments sent the rumor mill spinning again.
Ralf Schumacher – who has repeatedly suggested Ferrari should replace Hamilton with Oliver Bearman for 2026 – said the interview was “strange” and “definitely leaves things open”.
Nico Rosberg, Hamilton’s former teammate, also believes the 40-year-old is internally conflicted.
“He’s in a bind,” Rosberg said. “I’m sure he’d like to quit. But he can’t – that would be a huge loss of face. He’s only just joined Ferrari, started this big project. To quit now? He has no other option but to try again.
“But it could get even worse. Time is not on his side – he’ll be 41 soon.”
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, is urging Ferrari fans not to expect miracles in 2026 – and says part of the chaos around the team this year was created by the hype of Hamilton joining him.
“It’s true we created too many expectations this year,” Leclerc said.
“When someone like Lewis arrives at a team like Ferrari, two icons of the sport, it creates a lot of speculation that’s difficult to manage.
Everything happening around us was out of our control – the only thing we can control is being united, pushing hard, and staying motivated.”
Leclerc says he has no expectations at all for 2026.
“It will be carte blanche,” he said. “We don’t know where we start, and we don’t know where the others are.”
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur admits his own call to halt SF-25 development early – to prioritize 2026 – inflicted psychological damage internally.
“What I probably underestimated is the psychological impact it had on everyone,” he said. But he remains bullish about next season: “The crucial thing will be development. We’ll go back to a Formula 1 where performance fluctuates.”
Pedro de la Rosa, who worked with Hamilton at McLaren, believes 2026 will determine the Briton’s future entirely.
“I think he’s waiting to drive a completely different car,” he told DAZN.
“It’s Lewis’ last chance, but also for Ferrari. F1 needs Ferrari. With Hamilton and Leclerc they have two great drivers – now they must give them the car.”
Leclerc, despite being scheduled for the post-season Abu Dhabi test, admitted he wishes he could skip it.
“The disappointment after a year like this is affecting me,” he said. “I need a break – to disconnect, then refocus for next year.”
December 7, 2025
(GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s season from hell hit a new and final low in Abu Dhabi – but the seven-time world champion insists he is not about to walk away from Formula 1.
Hamilton crashed in FP3, triggering visible frustration among Ferrari mechanics, and then slumped to a third consecutive Q1 exit. He cut an unmistakably devastated figure.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he told Sky Italia.
“There’s no point in talking about it, I don’t want to explain myself. I feel absolutely no happiness, I’m very angry. I have no words to express my feelings, just a lot of anger.
“The team deserved better, that’s for sure.”
The horror run has intensified paddock rumors about an immediate retirement – whispers that have been bubbling all season and gaining traction amid Hamilton’s downward spiraling form.
Related Article: Formula 1 News: Being beaten by his teammate two years running is wearing on Hamilton
Ralf Schumacher then poured more fuel on the fire on Sky Deutschland on Saturday, again urging Ferrari to consider replacing Hamilton with Oliver Bearman for the new 2026 era.
“Lewis needs to take a good look at himself – he’s got no one else to be angry with,” he said.
“He has to face up to this situation. The season ends for him just as it has been all along. It’s a bad situation for him.”
Hamilton’s former teammate Nico Rosberg also sees a driver trapped in a mental loop.
“When you’re already in a situation where you can’t cope, you want to overdrive the car – and then it only gets worse,” Rosberg said. “That’s the typical negative spiral he’s in.”
Hamilton fanned rumors further by refusing to look ahead to 2026 when asked on Saturday: “Currently, I’m not looking that far into the future.”
But later he clarified sharply when asked directly about the new retirement rumors: “That’s completely out of the question. It’s not even a topic of discussion.”
As for what triggered the Abu Dhabi collapse – at a circuit where he has won five times – Hamilton admitted that surrendering his car to Arthur Leclerc in FP1 didn’t help.
“That obviously wasn’t helpful, but it’s the same for everyone,” he said.
Related Article: Qualifying Dead Last for the Las Vegas GP Adds to Evidence Lewis Hamilton Needs to Hang It Up
December 6, 2025
(GMM) Rumors of a shock and sudden Lewis Hamilton retirement have erupted in the Abu Dhabi paddock, despite the seven-time world champion insisting only days ago that he had no intention of walking away after his disastrous first season with Ferrari.
The 40-year-old, who has endured the worst campaign of his long career, answered in November when asked if he will quit: “No, no, no.”
But the speculation has flared again, with former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher bluntly declaring in Abu Dhabi that Ferrari should consider ending the partnership now.
“From my point of view, they should bring in Oliver Bearman,” he said.
“He’s delivering superb performances at Haas and will also be the future for Ferrari. Bearman and Leclerc would be a great team for 2026.”
Schumacher said Hamilton is still capable of speed “when the car is right”, but argued that age is the defining factor.
“At almost 41 he can no longer change his driving style,” said the German. “That’s the big risk for next year.
“Of course it’s possible the new concept might suit him, but the probability is very low. He won’t be able to do it anymore. I can only hope he draws a conclusion at the end of the year and says: ‘I can’t continue like this.'”
Hamilton’s back-to-back Q1 exits in Las Vegas and Qatar illustrate the depth of Ferrari’s problems – a slump he admitted he partly triggered himself by urging Fred Vasseur to stop development of the SF-25 so early.
“We had anticipated it would be difficult,” Hamilton told media. “But it’s worse than expected. I was one of those who asked Fred not to develop the car any further. We couldn’t afford to fall behind on the 2026 project.”
Despite the crisis, Charles Leclerc offered an unexpectedly warm defense of his embattled teammate.
“I’ve learned an enormous amount from Lewis,” he told L’Equipe.
“Before his arrival, I was more guided by my gut feeling,” Leclerc said. “Lewis is extremely conscientious and precise, and I’m now much more attentive to the numbers. When he arrived, I had a lot to learn. Being able to compare myself to him was a huge motivation. I never felt in his shadow.”
