Several senior paddock figures have suggested to ESPN that the seven-time world champion will not be offered another contract when his expires at the end of 2026 given his performances. GPblog asked Ferrari for a response but has not yet received one.

Hamilton has a multi-year deal with Ferrari through 2026. The Briton is only in his first season with the Italian team, but has yet to convince. Hamilton is sixth in the championship, 64 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc.

It’s not just on points that Hamilton is struggling compared to Leclerc. In their qualifying battles, the younger driver is also comfortably ahead. The qualifying score stands at 14–5 in Leclerc’s favor, with an average gap per qualifying of 0.170s.

Of course, it’s Hamilton’s first season in red, but a contract reportedly worth 60 million dollar per year is not the sort of deal for a driver acting as a number two.

Still, it’s early days for such a prediction, as Hamilton’s second season with Ferrari hasn’t even begun. Hamilton himself will also have to decide whether he wants to continue in Formula 1 at all. At the end of 2026, Hamilton will already be 41 years old.

Much will hinge on 2026, with completely new regulations on the horizon. With a new car, a new power unit, and new Pirelli tires, the pecking order could be shaken up, and drivers will also have to adapt again to the new generation of cars, Hamilton included. How Ferrari and Hamilton perform will likely determine whether they continue working together beyond 2026.