Based on his 2025 showing, Lewis Hamilton no longer has the skillset to defeat his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.<\/p>\n
That is the verdict issued by F1 driver turned Sky pundit Martin Brundle, after Hamilton<\/a> was soundly defeated by Leclerc in his first season with Ferrari. Brundle, though, did point to potential hope for Hamilton with new regulations coming into effect for F1 2026.<\/p>\n Martin Brundle on Lewis Hamilton: \u2018Not on this year\u2019s results\u2019<\/p>\n Hamilton arrived at Ferrari in 2025 to great fanfare. But, the seven-time World Champion struggled to live up to the hype.<\/p>\n Hamilton did give Ferrari its only form of F1 2025 victory by winning the China Sprint, but went the entire season without a single grand prix podium.<\/p>\n Leclerc, meanwhile, scored all seven of Ferrari\u2019s podiums, and ended the year 86 points better off than his illustrious teammate.<\/p>\n \u201cThe trouble is his stats and his reputation is not being enhanced with this,\u201d Brundle warned.<\/p>\n Brundle does, however, expect Hamilton to be back for another crack at it in F1 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I would have thought he will wait and see if Ferrari get it together for 2026, see how he\u2019s going, see how they\u2019re going, if he\u2019s enjoying it,\u201d Brundle continued.<\/p>\n \u201cI think if we were asking that [retirement] question a year from now, when he\u2019s had a difficult season\u2026 I would be very surprised if he just switches it off this winter.\u201d<\/p>\n Opportunity knocks in 2026, as both the chassis and engine regulations undergo wholesale changes. It creates an opening for teams like Ferrari, and a driver like Hamilton, to trigger a reversal of fortunes.<\/p>\n Yet, even if Ferrari did have a title-contending car for F1 2026, it begs the question of whether Hamilton would be the one to make best use of it.<\/p>\n Brundle was asked if he believes Hamilton \u2013 to turn 41 ahead of the season-opener, still has the skillset to beat a driver of Leclerc\u2019s calibre.<\/p>\n \u201cNot on this year\u2019s results, no,\u201d Brundle responded.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, let\u2019s see how he copes with the way the cars\u2026 They\u2019re going to handle completely differently next year.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton\u2019s former Mercedes teammate, 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg, highlighted Hamilton\u2019s one-lap pace as a key sticking point.<\/p>\n Hamilton ended his season with four consecutive Q1 eliminations across Sprint and Grand Prix action.<\/p>\n \u201cHis great struggle this year was qualifying pace,\u201d said Rosberg of Hamilton, \u201cbecause in the race, there was always still these flashes of brilliance that we kept on seeing again. It\u2019s just qualifying pace.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the cars being so different next year, maybe he can find some of that old magic again in qualifying. So the hope is still there.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Lewis Hamilton from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Think Lewis Hamilton regrets his move to Ferrari? Just wait until 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Has Max Verstappen pinpointed the reason for Lewis Hamilton\u2019s Ferrari struggles?<\/a><\/p>\n Hamilton has made it clear that his struggles against Leclerc, in a disappointing first year with Ferrari, will not weigh on his mind going into F1 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not concerned about it, no,\u201d he confirmed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve just been focusing on my side during this period.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, Charles has done a great job. He\u2019s been there for seven years. He\u2019s got a team around him that he\u2019s worked with for many years. So, it\u2019s a well-oiled machine.<\/p>\n \u201cOn my side, it\u2019s a new group of people. For me, it\u2019s a new environment that I\u2019m still getting used to working with. Then I had another new member halfway through the year.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, we\u2019re all working as hard as we can, but getting that to work as well as someone that\u2019s had it for several years is not\u2026 you don\u2019t just do it like that. It takes a bit of time.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n