JUST IN: MAX VERSTAPPEN OFFICIALLY CONFIRMS AGE IS DESTROYING LEWIS HAMILTON’S SPEED AT FERRARI
Max Verstappen admits it "sucks" to see Lewis Hamilton struggle at Ferrari after a podium-less 2025 F1 season.
Max Verstappen said it was tough watching Lewis Hamilton struggle in his first F1 season with Ferrari.
After over ten years with Mercedes, Hamilton switched to Ferrari for 2025, but the move hasn't paid off so far.
The seven-time world champ had his first season ever without a single podium finish.
Hamilton ended up 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, in the SF-25. Ferrari wasn't very competitive, but the difference between the two drivers' results was still pretty obvious.
Hamilton also had a hard time in qualifying, ending the year with three straight Q1 exits. That's the worst he's done in qualifying since 2009.
The British racer often seemed sad during interviews, which made people wonder if he might retire.
But Hamilton has said that he's not planning to quit and that he'll keep racing, even though some people think he should leave F1.
Verstappen said he doesn't enjoy seeing Hamilton like this.
He told Viaplay, Well, to be very clear, it hasn't been a good season for him at Ferrari.
You can see it in everything, even on the radio during races. I have to say, it really sucks to see him like that.”
He continued, “For me, too, to be honest. I don’t like watching it.
I don’t know about him quitting, because I don’t think he's giving up. Lewis will still be around.”
Verstappen talked about the problems Hamilton is facing at Ferrari.
The Dutch driver also said that it's been hard for Hamilton to switch from Mercedes to Ferrari.
If you don’t feel confident or relaxed with the team, you can't be yourself, and that makes a difference, Verstappen said.
You leave a team that was like family at Mercedes, where you built your whole career.
Everyone benefited from that. Then, going a totally different way is not easy, especially when you're up against someone (Charles Leclerc) who's been there a while. It's really tough.
Verstappen thinks age is another thing that's tough for Hamilton.
And age is not going to help you. You're not going to get faster at that age, maybe not slower, but not faster. Charles is still improving, so that doesn't help either.
Hamilton will be 41 in January and has a contract with Ferrari for the next two seasons.
Verstappen thinks it would be hard for a driver who loves the sport as much as Hamilton does to just walk away.
"If this is your whole life, it's very hard to give it up," he finished.
THE 2026 ULTIMATUM: WHY NEXT SEASON IS "MAKE OR BREAK" FOR LEWIS HAMILTON
After a winless 2025 debut, Lewis Hamilton faces a pivotal year. See why Steiner believes the 7x champ is nearing the F1 exit.
Guenther Steiner, who used to run the Haas team, thinks Lewis Hamilton might quit Formula 1 if Ferrari can't get to the top of the Driver's Championship by 2026—he thinks that season will be super important for the racing star.
Hamilton had a tough first year with Ferrari, ending up sixth in the F1 rankings with 156 points.
That was 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, and he didn't even get on the podium once, which is a first for him in a full season.
He often said he was bummed out about how his Ferrari debut was going.
Back in November, after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he told Sky Sports, I feel awful. This has been the worst season ever, and it just keeps getting worse no matter how hard I try. I'm trying everything I can, both in and out of the car.
Hamilton looked pretty sad a lot during the season because he couldn't really fight for race wins.
Steiner told Sports Krone, I think if Ferrari has a good car next season, Hamilton might be able to turn things around. If they are more competitive, Lewis might find his drive again. But if things stay the same, next season will probably be his last in Formula 1. He's not going to go through that again. The situation is tough for him, and you could see that in every interview. So, the next season will be key for him.
What's Hamilton saying about quitting?
When the media asks Hamilton about his F1 future, he doesn't want to talk about retiring.
At the end of the season, when someone asked him what he would say to those who think he might retire soon, the 40-year-old said, I wouldn't say anything to them. None of them have done what I've done, so they don't know anything more than I do.
Last summer, after some rumors that he might leave early, Hamilton said he's staying at Ferrari until his contract is up.
He said, For those writing stories about me thinking about not racing, I've just started here with Ferrari. I've been here for a few years, and I'm in it for the long run, so there's no question about what I'm focused on achieving with this team. There are zero doubts, so please stop making stuff up.
In 2026, everyone will still be wondering about Hamilton's future in F1, mainly if Ferrari keeps struggling with the new rules. And if Steiner is right, another year of not competing for a championship could be the end for him.
MAX VERSTAPPEN NAMED PEER-VOTED DRIVER OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON
Max Verstappen wins his 5th straight F1 peer award, beating champion Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton drops out of the top 10 for the first time.
Max Verstappen copped his fifth straight driver-of-the-year award in Formula 1's secret peer vote, even though he almost grabbed a fifth title in 2025 but didn't quite make it.
The drivers all voted in secret, except for four guys. The Red Bull driver beat out Lando Norris, who just won the world championship, for the number one spot.
The voting worked like the normal F1 points system. Drivers ranked their top 10 rivals. Verstappen got 25 points from six votes to win.
Norris, who won his first championship after a crazy season, came in second in the driver rankings for the second year running.
The McLaren driver won the title after fighting off pressure from Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, all season long.
George Russell took third, moving up one spot from last year. The Mercedes driver had a killer season with two wins and seven more podiums.
Piastri was fourth, up one spot, even though his championship hopes fizzled out near the end. The Aussie was leading by 34 points at one point before his performance dropped off.
Charles Leclerc finished fifth, down two spots, even though he got everything he could out of Ferrari's SF-25. The Monegasque driver had seven podiums during a tough season that saw Ferrari finish fourth.
Carlos Sainz held onto sixth after a great comeback at Williams. After a rough start, the Spaniard grabbed two podiums in a strong second half of the season.
Fernando Alonso jumped two spots to seventh, and the two-time world champion had some crazy drives in Aston Martin's AMR25.
Alex Albon took eighth after his best season with Williams, while rookies Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10, getting props for their awesome first seasons.
Pierre Gasly almost made the list, even with 10 Q3 appearances in Alpine's tricky A525.
Lewis Hamilton, who's won seven world championships, didn't show up in the rankings, which is a first since they started doing this poll. It shows how rough his first season at Ferrari was.
The four drivers who skipped the vote were Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda.