Lewis Hamilton has made it clear that he looks forward to dropping media duties and photo shoots from his daily task list when he eventually retires from the sport. However, the seven-time world champion has no imminent plans to walk away from F1, insisting that he still ‘has a dream’.
The 2025 season was meant to be Hamilton’s renaissance. The legendary Brit swapped Mercedes for Ferrari after 12 years at Brackley in the hope that he would return to regular race victory contention, but that did not transpire. Instead, he failed to score a podium for the first time in his career and finished just six points ahead of rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Throughout the season, Hamilton’s morale and confidence continued to yo-yo, and a series of dejected interviews sparked concern that the sport’s most decorated driver could walk away from the sport before the end of his Ferrari contract, which is reported to run until 2027.
For now, Hamilton is still inspired. “It’s the love for what you do, it’s the love for racing,” he said when asked what keeps him going. “I’ve got amazing support from people around me, my fans. It’s that constant keeping an eye on the dream. I still have a dream that I hold hope in my heart for, and that’s what I work towards.”
Looking at the downsides of life in the F1 paddock, though, Hamilton made it clear what he was looking forward to quitting. “I can’t wait to get away from all this,” he confessed. “Every week, photoshoots and all that kind of stuff. That’s the thing I look forward to one day, not having to do it all.”
Now, Hamilton’s hopes of scoring a record-breaking eighth Drivers’ Championship title rest on Ferrari ahead of the new technical regulations in 2026. With sweeping changes to the power units on the horizon and active aerodynamics set to replace DRS, the pecking order is poised for a shake-up.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc believes that this regulation shift will be the legendary Italian constructor’s best chance to return to the pinnacle of the sport, labelling it a “now or never” moment for Ferrari.
“It’s tough, but at the same time, the whole team is hugely motivated for next year,” Leclerc said after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, looking back at a dismal year for the team, in which Ferrari finished fourth in the Constructors’ Championship despite his seven podiums.
“It’s such a big change, a huge opportunity to show what Ferrari is capable of. It’s now or never, so I really hope that we will start this new era on the right foot. It’s important for the four years after.”
Source link
