Croft issues verdict on Hamilton's potential retirement at the end of the season

15:14, 05 Jun

Updated: 15:16, 05 Jun

byTobia Elia

Lewis Hamilton's recent performances have sparked rumors suggesting that the seven-time world champion should consider retiring at the end of the season.

Only nine races into the season, and yet the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari already seems to have reached a point of no return.

After leaving Mercedes just a few months ago following a twelve-year partnership, the British driver was hoping to return to winning ways—or at least fight for an eighth world title with the Maranello-based team—but reality has turned out to be quite different so far.

After nine Grands Prix, the seven-time world champion has yet to secure a podium with his new team (excluding the sprint race victory in China), leading some fans to wonder whether Hamilton should consider an early retirement at the end of the season—opting out of Formula 1's new regulatory era set to begin in 2026.

The matter was also addressed by David Croft, the iconic voice of British Formula 1, who shared his thoughts on a possible Hamilton retirement during the Sky F1 Show: ''Lewis will be around next year. He's not going anywhere'', the journalist firmly denied.

Adding more on Hamilton's recent performances, Croft said: ''I think we were all hoping for more positives, to be honest, especially after China in the sprint, when he looked an absolute world-beater once again''.

''Let's try and offer a bit of hope on this one for him. Ferrari haven't specified exactly what the issue was, but according to Ferrari, there was an issue with the car in the final stint and that wasn't helping him''.

''Hulkenberg was on a brand new set of soft tires and they made a huge amount of difference whatever car you were driving. So it wasn't a surprise that on a new set, Hulkenberg has got past Lewis on an old set of softs. He should have been passed by Leclerc a bit sooner though. Ferrari left their team orders one or two laps too late once again, despite being aware that they might with the drivers on different strategies''.

Canada will be crucial for Hamilton

''He didn't have that race pace for the first two thirds of the race, let alone the last one. You go back to the drawing board, don't you? And you go and find what's wrong. And if there was something fundamentally wrong with the car, then I think that offers a morale boost to Lewis''.

''And I think the next race is quite critical for Lewis, because Canada is a place he goes so, so well at. It's a place he loves. This is Lewis Hamilton's track. And if he has another down a day like he did in Barcelona, then there's issues. But look, if anyone can do it and turn it around, the seven-time world champion that is Lewis Hamilton can definitely turn that around'', Croft concluded.