Lewis Hamilton bombshell with F1 icon 'likely' to retire at end of the season

Jack Otway
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:08:13 +0000

Lewis Hamilton is 'likely' to retire from F1 at the end of the current season.

The British driver, now 41, has won seven titles throughout his career - emulating childhood hero Michael Schumacher in the process.

Hamilton has been chasing a record eighth crown ever since narrowly missing out in controversial circumstances in 2021, when Max Verstappen came out on top.

After a disappointing debut season with Ferrari, the veteran has shown glimpses of the quality of old - though remains behind Kimi Antonelli, George Russell and Charles Leclerc in the standings after three races so far.

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Hamilton's current Ferrari deal expires this winter, once the season is over.

And, according to the Daily Mail, the British sporting icon is 'likely' to quit the sport then.

Some drivers continue to race into their 40s, with Fernando Alonso still going strong at the age of 44. Going further back, Louis Chiron was 55 and 292 days when he competed at the 955 Monaco Grand Prix.

Hamilton, however, is seemingly preparing to call it a day once his contract expires.

The report says that Ferrari could end up being a possible destination for Verstappen one day, though the Dutchman is eager to remain at Red Bull.

It's been a challenging start to the season for the four-time champion, having struggled during events in Australia, China and Japan.

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Red Bull have struggled to get to grips with the sport's new regulations, much to Verstappen's dismay.

He remains loyal, however, and is pressing on big changes to be made behind the scenes as he looks to scale the dizzying heights of old. It's also clear that he's not got any interest in moving to McLaren, too.

Meanwhile, regarding Hamilton, the Stevenage-born racer said back in March that he wanted to compete in an F1 race in Africa before bringing the curtain down on his glittering career.

He also said he'd been 'fighting in the background' to make that happen, in what would represent a historic move for the sport.

"I don't want to leave the sport without having a grand prix there, without getting to race there," he said.

"I'm chasing them - when is it going to be?

"They're setting certain dates. I'm like, damn, I could be running out of time, so I'm going to be here for a while until that happens, because that would be amazing, given that I'm half-African."

Hamilton also called for Africa to 'take back land' from other nations, adding: "It is the most beautiful part of the world, and I don't like that the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it and no-one speaks about it.

"It is the most beautiful part of the world, and I don't like that the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it and no-one speaks about it.

"Take it back from the French. Take it back from the Spanish. Take it back from the Portuguese and the British.

"It's so important for the future of that continent. They have all the resources to be the greatest and most powerful place in the world, and that's probably why they are being controlled the way they are.