Hamilton to walk away if Ferrari dream fails to deliver in 2026?

After the fanfare surrounding his switch from Mercedes, Hamilton has struggled to adapt to life at Maranello. He trails teammate Charles Leclerc in both points and performance, and his best Sunday finish remains fourth place - a stark contrast to the expectations that followed his arrival.

Guenther Steiner, former Haas team principal turned occasional F1 pundit, believes next season will determine whether Hamilton continues racing beyond 2026. The Italian motorsport veteran said the Briton will call time on his own terms if Ferrari’s form does not improve.

Steiner said: “I think Lewis, if it doesn’t work next year, he decides himself. For sure he’s giving himself next year to see where he’s at, and if he’s competitive for sure he’s staying longer. But if he’s not competitive, he’s over 40 now, he may be closer to the day.”

Hamilton has faced a steep adjustment period, joining a team still searching for consistency against McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes. Hamilton’s struggles have prompted reflection across the paddock, especially given the optimism that surrounded his blockbuster move.

Steiner admitted that even he expected more from Hamilton’s maiden Ferrari campaign: “By now, I honestly expected Lewis to catch up a little bit more to Charles. I think we all had too high expectations... the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, a GOAT, going to Ferrari, the most iconic Formula 1 team. And then obviously beginning of this year, reality hits.”

Hamilton’s qualifying form has been a shadow of the driver with 104 P1 starts on his resume, plus the Ferrari SF-25 quirkiness has left him short of podium contention. His 125 points tally sits well below Leclerc's 173.

The score between Scuderia teammates, after Singapore, is Leclerc beating Hamilton 13-5 in Qualifying, and 13-3 in GPs held thus far. At the same time, Ferrari continues to slip behind McLaren (now Champions) and Ferrari, with Red Bull's one-man show - Max Verstappen - closing in on the Reds in the Constructors’ Championship.

Steiner believes Hamilton may rediscover his form next season, when Formula 1’s 2026 regulations remove the ground-effect concept he has long disliked.

“Hopefully, Lewis can come back. He never liked the ground effect cars, the cars under the current regulations,” said Steiner. “Next year there is no ground effect anymore, so let’s see what he can do then.”

Steiner added that Hamilton is now better integrated into Ferrari culture and better positioned to adapt. “He will have been a year at Ferrari, he knows their culture, he’s more mature at Ferrari,” he said. “Let’s see what happens next year. And if it isn’t happening next year, I think there will be some changes coming.”

Hamilton has made clear that patience is wearing thin, acknowledging last month that a podium might not come this year. The next step - and possibly the final one - depends on whether Ferrari’s 2026 challenger delivers a car worthy of his talent.