Racing Icon Adds Fuel to Fire over Lewis Hamilton Retirement Rumors

Former Le Mans winner Derek Warwick made a bold claim over Lewis Hamilton potentially leaving Ferrari.

Racing Icon Adds Fuel to Fire over Lewis Hamilton Retirement Rumors

Lewis Hamilton (via Ferrari)

Lewis Hamilton made a historic move by joining Scuderia Ferrari this year. The seven-time world champion was reckoned to be the driver who brings glory back to Maranello. However, after one-thirds of the 2025 season, Hamilton is nowhere close to his initial goals. Now, former Le Mans winner Derek Warwick has insisted that retirement might not be off the table for the 40-year-old.

Hamilton had massive ambitions for his dream move to Ferrari. The British driver was adamant on winning the world title with his new team. So far, the 40-year-old has failed to come even close to a race victory. Albeit, Lewis Hamilton did clinch a Sprint win at the Chinese GP in the early days of the season. Since then, the Ferrari star has found it difficult to rediscover his mojo.

Derek Warwick insisted that he wanted to see the seven-time world champion succeed. Lewis Hamilton has long awaited to win a record-breaking eighth world title since his defeat against Max Verstappen in 2021. However, the Le Mans icon gave a reality check over Hamilton’s prospects this year, as such a massive task was simply not possible this season. So much so, that Warwick was confident that Hamilton might already be considering retirement amid his persistent struggles.

Do I want Lewis to win races and challenge for the World Championship? Yes. I think he deserves it. I think he deserves that eighth world title. It’s not going to happen this year. And I think if it carries on the way it is at the minute, I suspect he’s already thinking of stopping.

Derek Warwick told Plejmo

Lewis Hamilton ‘underestimated’ Ferrari challenge

Lewis Hamilton raced for Mercedes in Formula 1 since the 2013 season. While, the seven-time world champion had competed in only Mercedes-powered cars throughout his F1 career, including his days at McLaren. Thus, moving to Scuderia Ferrari was never going to be an easy task for the 40-year-old. This was evident when Hamilton found himself struggling to adapt with Ferrari’s switch settings.

Lewis Hamilton (via Planetf1)
Lewis Hamilton (via Planetf1)

Derek Warwick highlighted that not only critics, but the Briton himself underestimated the challenge of racing for a new team. A driver must familiarize themselves with the way a team functions, be it simple car settings, to team briefings, and work culture. With the Scuderia being the most unique team on the grid with a rich history. Maranello has undoubtedly the most special culture in Formula 1, something that is a far departure from what Hamilton experienced at Mercedes.

I think people underestimate, including Lewis, maybe how difficult it is to join a new team. How to get used to their systems, their debriefs, getting them to understand what you want and vice versa.

Derek Warwick added

Certainly, Lewis Hamilton did not expect to be in such a position when he joined Ferrari last year. The seven-time world champion’s debut campaign at the Italian team could not have gone worse. However, there are still plenty of races remaining this year. The 40-year-old might be able to potentially win a couple of races if he can finally get comfortable with Ferrari machinery. The Tifosi would be hoping for Hamilton to improve his performances in the coming rounds.

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