Lewis Hamilton's prospects for the 2026 Formula 1 season appear bleak after a dismal Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, with the seven-time world champion admitting he is "not looking forward to it" at all. The Briton qualified last for the race, marking the first time in his 19-year F1 career that he has started from the back of the grid on pure pace.
Hamilton's struggles were evident throughout the event, where he was unable to overtake the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg on the medium tyre in the closing stages. The Ferrari driver finished a disappointing 10th, although his classification was later upgraded to eighth after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri - who were subsequently disqualified for a technical infringement - were stripped of their points.
Hamilton's performance has been a far cry from the form he showed at the start of the season, with the 40-year-old describing his first year with Ferrari as "a nightmare". The Briton is now just sixth in the drivers' championship, 73 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has stated that Hamilton's comments were made in the heat of the moment and that he should be given more time to express his frustration. Vasseur acknowledged that Hamilton had struggled with the extreme wet tyre during qualifying, but said that it was not an excuse for the Briton's lacklustre performance.
Hamilton's future prospects for the 2026 season are uncertain, although a first season without a podium finish in F1 would be a significant setback. With just two races remaining, Hamilton will need to regroup and refocus if he is to salvage what remains of his championship hopes.
Hamilton's struggles were evident throughout the event, where he was unable to overtake the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg on the medium tyre in the closing stages. The Ferrari driver finished a disappointing 10th, although his classification was later upgraded to eighth after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri - who were subsequently disqualified for a technical infringement - were stripped of their points.
Hamilton's performance has been a far cry from the form he showed at the start of the season, with the 40-year-old describing his first year with Ferrari as "a nightmare". The Briton is now just sixth in the drivers' championship, 73 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has stated that Hamilton's comments were made in the heat of the moment and that he should be given more time to express his frustration. Vasseur acknowledged that Hamilton had struggled with the extreme wet tyre during qualifying, but said that it was not an excuse for the Briton's lacklustre performance.
Hamilton's future prospects for the 2026 season are uncertain, although a first season without a podium finish in F1 would be a significant setback. With just two races remaining, Hamilton will need to regroup and refocus if he is to salvage what remains of his championship hopes.
. I mean, the guy's been with Ferrari for a bit now and you'd think they'd be able to get him back up to speed, but nope! 
he's just struggling to keep up. I'm not surprised though, he did say that his first year with Ferrari was "a nightmare" 
. Still, 6th in the championship feels like a massive drop for someone of his experience. Does anyone think ferrari will be able to get him back on track by next season? 
. And now he's saying he doesn't want to do the whole season? That's not exactly reassuring for his fans... He's gotta get himself back in shape, pronto! 
he's been on fire at the start of the season and now it's like he's stuck in neutral 
40 years old and still giving it his all, but sometimes you just gotta ask for help 
what if ferrari makes some changes to the team dynamics? would that help lewis bounce back? 
fingers crossed he can turn things around before the season is over! 
, calm him down, ya know? But seriously, Hamilton needs to get his head back in the game 
. Two races left and it's do or die for him 
. His comments at the Las Vegas GP were super honest tho 
, even if they weren't exactly what Ferrari wanted to hear 
.
, and it's hard not to feel bad for the guy 
. I think he needs a break from F1 for a bit, like take some time off to recharge 
️. But on the other hand, he's still one of the best drivers out there 
, so maybe this is just a minor bump in the road 
.
.
. I think he needs a break from F1, take some time to reflect and recharge 
. Ferrari's not helping either, they need to work with him to get his form back 
.
. He's been through so much in his career already and now it seems like Ferrari isn't the right fit for him 
Hamilton's comments do sound pretty raw... maybe Vasseur has a point about it being said in the heat of the moment 
. Still, 73 points behind Charles is a tough gap to close 
.