replaced by the grim reality of a looming retirement. According to former Haas team principal and F1 firebrand Guenther Steiner, the British legend is prepared to walk away from the sport forever at the conclusion of the 2026 season—provided the Scuderia cannot reverse its technical freefall. Steiner’s assessment is blunt: a driver of Hamilton’s stature will refuse to “put himself through the ringer” again if the team fails to rectify the deep-seated flaws that plagued their most recent, disastrous campaign.

What began as a wave of global euphoria and sky-high anticipation at Maranello has plummeted into a sobering crisis of performance. Despite Ferrari entering the year with the momentum of a second-place Constructors’ finish and the hunger for their first title since 2008, the SF-25 proved to be a catastrophic disappointment. 

For the first time in a storied career spanning nearly two decades, the 40-year-old champion endured the indignity of a completely podium-less season. This unprecedented slump transformed Hamilton’s public persona; the once-invincible racer routinely appeared dejected and despondent, his body language in media scrums telling the story of a man lost in a machine that simply could not keep up with his ambitions.

However, Steiner remains steadfast in his belief that the 105-time Grand Prix winner hasn’t lost his spark—he’s just missing the right tools. Speaking to Sport Krone, the Italian emphasized that a comeback is entirely contingent on Ferrari’s ability to engineer a car that matches Hamilton’s elite DNA. Yet, the internal challenge is just as fierce as the external one. Hamilton isn’t just fighting the car; he’s fighting Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver didn’t just beat Hamilton in 2025; he decimated him, outscoring the veteran by a staggering 86 points. While Leclerc managed to drag the uncompetitive Ferrari onto the podium multiple times—a “respectable achievement” given the car’s limitations—Hamilton struggled to find any rhythm.

As the sport prepares for the massive 2026 regulations overhaul, featuring brand-new chassis and power units, the stakes have never been higher for the Prancing Horse. For Steiner, this isn’t just a new chapter; it is the final verdict. He labels 2026 a “pivotal season”—a binary outcome where Hamilton either finds his lost motivation through a competitive car or exits the paddock for good. If the status quo of failure persists, the world will likely witness the silent, dejected departure of F1’s greatest icon, as Hamilton refuses to endure the psychological toll of another winless, mid-pack struggle.