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LAST CHANCE: LEWIS HAMILTON FACES 2026 "MAKE OR BREAK" SEASON AT FERRARI NOW

After a podium-less 2025, Lewis Hamilton enters his "final chance" year at Ferrari. Discover the 2026 engine testing results.

Last chance: Lewis Hamilton faces 2026 "make or break" season at Ferrari now
Can Ferrari’s MGU-K save Hamilton?

After a terrible 2025, pressure's on for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari to get results in 2026. He even hinted he should be replaced after a rough season.

That comment came after he got knocked out in Q2 at the Hungarian GP, showing how bummed out the seven-time champ was. It was a bad start at Ferrari, and it just got worse after the summer break.

Getting knocked out in Q1 and having no race pace meant Hamilton didn't get a single podium all season, a first in his career. It wasn't what he thought he was signing up for in Maranello.

He wanted a fresh start, but Hamilton's first season felt like Alain Prost getting sacked in 1991. He wasn't as public with his criticism as Prost, but Ferrari will lose patience if he doesn't deliver in 2026.

Actually, it seems like they already are. Hamilton's on his 'last chance' at Ferrari, with his contract supposedly ending in 2026, and Oliver Bearman might take his place.

So, it is a very important year for him and the team. The 2026 F1 rules are a new challenge and maybe a good thing for Hamilton after struggling during the aerodynamics era.

Lewis Hamilton should be happy because Ferrari's 2026 engine is doing 'great' in testing.

Right now, no one knows how good each team's engines will be in 2026. People think Mercedes will have the fastest, but they're trying to downplay that.

Ferrari started working on 2026 early to get a jump on development and give Hamilton and Charles Leclerc the best shot from the start.

We won't know how they perform until the car hits the track, but it sounds like things are going well in Maranello. According to Funoanalisitecnica, Ferrari's hybrid part of the engine is doing 'very well' in testing.

The MGU-K had 'great energy recovery,' hitting the 'exact levels set before it was built.' It looks like Ferrari is meeting their goals, which should be good news for Hamilton.

For sure, Ferrari can't compare itself to others yet. But with the 'very good signs' coming from the factory, Hamilton has a reason to be excited before what might be his last season in F1.

Is Ferrari starting to listen to Lewis Hamilton before 2026?

Riccardo Patrese says Hamilton needs a good car at Ferrari, or he'll struggle in 2026. The team didn't give him what he needed in 2025, even though he asked for changes.

The Brit tried to get Ferrari to change how they do things behind the scenes with documents. But they didn't listen, and he struggled all year.

But things might change, since Ferrari grabbed two people from Mercedes for their 2026 project. It looks like they're finally listening to Hamilton and making the changes he wanted.

Of course, Hamilton has to do his part, too. He's been with Ferrari for a year now—he can't get left behind.

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.

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Hamilton’s exit clock is ticking

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.

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Verstappen Wins Fifth Straight Peer Award

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.

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