Hamilton gets support from unexpected ally with F1 career saving lifeline

14:34, 14 Aug

byNorberto Mujica

Lewis Hamilton's situation at Ferrari has changed dramatically since his presentation at Maranello: from saviour to nearly outcast. Guenther Steiner has outlined the enemy that could vanquish the Brit's F1 career, but has also given him the key to eliminate it.

Hamilton's recent run of form puts him on the back foot at Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc’s impressive performances making him the sole podium scorer for the Scuderia. Hamilton’s best result so far has been a P4.

Since the introduction of the ground effect era in 2022, Hamilton has been unable to replicate his previous successes, and Steiner believes he knows why.

"With the new ground effect cars, Lewis struggled from the start," he told web.de.

"And in 2026 there will be new cars, new engines and no one knows who will be strong then. Maybe he says: I'll take that with me."

However, Steiner fears that 2026 could be the end of Hamilton’s F1 career.

"If that doesn’t work either, then it’s over. Even if not from one day to the next.

If he wanted to quit, he would communicate this in good time so that the team has time to find a replacement."

Hamilton battling against Verstappen at the Hungarian GP

Steiner throws Hamilton a career saving Formula One lifeline

The Italian-American then issued Hamilton some key advice that could change the course of his current trajectory:

“Grit your teeth, give it your all, but don’t get too mental. Not constantly thinking about what others think or say.

“If you can’t beat Charles, try to stick with him. The biggest enemy is internal pressure. And at the moment he is trying too much.

“He wants to force it. But if you know that the performance is not fully there, then just make the best of it and you will see: looseness, confidence, rhythm come back,” Steiner concluded.