Frank admission from Mercedes team principal comes as George Russell goes on holiday and says “there’s no time pressure” over 2026 contract

Those remarks opened the door to speculation over Hamilton’s future, a doorway former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was more than happy to walk through. Speaking with The Daily Mail, Ecclestone made the case that Hamilton is “tired,” and that “he should stop now.”

There may be some 'secret' clauses within Lewis Hamilton 's Ferrari contract which may just persuade the seven-time F1 world champion to stick around until 2026, according to reports. Hamilton has had a dismal start to life at Ferrari, not having picked up a single grand prix podium across his first 14 race weekends with the team.