Despite facing a tough transition into Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton is resolute in his commitment to continue racing. The seven-time World Champion, who has struggled to keep pace with teammate Charles Leclerc, addressed rumors of his possible retirement after his disappointing performance this season. Despite failing to finish ahead of Leclerc in the first five races and being over half a second off his teammate’s pace in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Hamilton made it clear he isn’t giving up yet.
“Please keep your fingers crossed. I’m not going to give up,” he told a London crowd, affirming his determination. “We’re going to keep getting better. Still we rise, right?”
Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner recently shared his thoughts on the situation. Steiner, speaking on the Red Flags podcast, expressed his concerns not just about Hamilton’s performance but about the mental toll the situation could be having on him. He acknowledged that the gap between Hamilton and Leclerc is becoming an issue, but his main worry is Hamilton’s state of mind.
“I’m more concerned about what he thinks about, you know, when he’s asking about where I lost time, and then ‘jeez,’ it’s like, yeah, the engineer can tell you where you’re losing time, but for sure, he cannot make you understand why you’re losing it,” Steiner explained. “The worst thing would be if Lewis is losing his confidence, because then it will be a backwards race. It is a concern, in my opinion.”
Steiner’s words highlight the mental pressure Hamilton faces as he tries to adapt to Ferrari’s car. With Hamilton sitting seventh in the Drivers’ Championship—16 points behind Leclerc—the pressure continues to mount. Despite his struggles, Steiner believes that Hamilton is doing everything he can to improve, though he’s uncertain how the situation will ultimately unfold.
As the season progresses, all eyes will remain on Hamilton as he works to regain his form and prove he’s still capable of challenging for the title, even in the face of adversity.
