The Formula 1 summer break has given teams and drivers some important time off before the onslaught of the last 10 Grand Prix of the season.
One of the most interesting storylines once F1 returns at the Dutch Grand Prix will be the form of Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have done all they can to help Ferrari as the Scuderia sit second in the constructors’ championship.
However, neither driver has been capable of winning a Grand Prix this season, with Hamilton having to settle for a Sprint Race victory in China as his best moment of the campaign thus far.
Hamilton has been very downbeat at times this year, and at one point told Ferrari they should consider changing drivers following his Q2 exit in Hungary when Leclerc took pole position.
Position Drivers’ Championship PointsPts 1 284 2 275 3 187 4 172 5 151 6 109 7 64 8 54 9 37 10 27
Team principal Fred Vasseur has been quick to defend Hamilton, especially considering the seven-time world champion has stood up and suggested Ferrari should back their team principal when his position was under threat.
However, Hamilton will know that he needs to start delivering some more eye-catching results soon, especially if he wants to break Michael Schumacher’s record and win an eighth title.
Journalist Ronald Vording and commentator James Allen were discussing Hamilton’s F1 future and whether they believe his time at Ferrari is the final step during his time in the paddock.
Speaking exclusively to F1 Oversteer, Alex Jacques thinks Hamilton might be jealously looking over at Mercedes ahead of the 2026 season, but a move elsewhere on the grid has been ruled out.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesLewis Hamilton won’t drive for another team in Formula 1 after Ferrari, says James Allen
Speaking on the James Allen on F1 Podcast, Vording explained: “I think it’s just extremely complex. I still believe his motivation is very, very, very much there.
“But if he doesn’t win and if Ferrari doesn’t win in 2026, then it does become a real question.
“And I like your theory about going back to McLaren, but I think also the question that needs to be asked then is what does Lewis really want in F1 then, because he has basically nothing to prove, he’s proven everything in his career.
“But I think that’s a conversation we will have probably this time next year. I hope it’s not true for Lewis, but it might be a conversation we’re having next year.
Allen replied: “Yeah, I don’t think Lewis will move teams again. I think it’s Ferrari or he’s on his way out. I can’t see that happening.”
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Juan Pablo Montoya says Lewis Hamilton has uncovered Ferrari’s 2025 F1 car issue
Although Hamilton currently sits 42 points behind Leclerc in the drivers’ championship, the pair have been performing at a very similar level.
The seven-time world champion has been at Leclerc’s level when the car hasn’t been ultra competitive, but when there’s been an opportunity to secure a podium, it’s been the Monegasque driver who has taken advantage.
Hamilton couldn’t understand why Leclerc was so much faster than him in Monaco, but just a few races later, it was the British driver who was on top.
CategoryLewis HamiltonCharles Leclerc2025 points109151Grand Prix results*211Grand Prix qualifying410Grand Prix wins00Grand Prix poles01Grand Prix podiums05Best finish4th3rdDisqualifications11Retirements00Retirements (classified finish)00Fastest laps00Grand Prix points finishes1212Sprint results21Sprint Qualifying12Sprint wins10Sprint poles10Sprint podiums20The 2025 F1 teammate head-to-head battle of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc
*Both Ferrari drivers were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix
Leclerc was full of praise for Hamilton at Silverstone, even though he narrowly missed out on a top-three finish to Nico Hulkenberg.
However, Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Hamilton has uncovered Ferrari’s biggest issue, and the task for Vasseur is to fix that before 2026.
If they can’t find a solution to that problem, then Hamilton will have to decide how much longer he wants to race in the sport, even if an option to continue elsewhere is unlikely to be taken.