Lewis Hamilton has had a disappointing first year as a Ferrari driver. For the first time in his Formula 1 career, the Brit did not achieve a podium finish in a main race throughout the entire season. Max Verstappen expresses sympathy for his former British rival: ‘I don’t like to see that.’
While Max Verstappen, in the words of many experts, experienced his ‘best season ever’ in 2025, the year was one to quickly forget for Lewis Hamilton. The Brit did not make it to the podium in any Grand Prix, a first for the seven-time world champion. For Verstappen – Hamilton’s major title rival in 2021 – it was painful to watch.
“Of course, it has not been a good season for him,” the Dutch world champion tells Viaplay. “You can see that in everything, for example in the radio broadcasts from the car.” Hamilton regularly clashed with his race engineer Riccardo Adami over the on-board radio. For instance, during the Miami GP, the Brit sarcastically snapped at his engineer – ‘Why don’t you take a tea break while you’re at it’ – when, according to Hamilton, it took too long for Charles Leclerc to give him back a position.
‘Painful to Watch’
For Verstappen too, it was a painful spectacle. “I don’t like seeing that,” the driver continues. “I know nothing about quitting. He won’t give up, so he’ll definitely be there. But it’s not nice to see.” Hamilton will turn 41 in January, and apart from Fernando Alonso, he is the oldest driver on the current grid. Verstappen himself has no plans to stay in Formula 1 for that long. “I think you then deal with more physical discomfort. You suffer more from things. These cars are not the most comfortable to drive in the first place.”
“And when you’re older, of course, you suffer more. Your shoulder, your back, your neck. I think it takes a bit more effort to keep everything in shape. So that’s something you have to focus on a lot more,” adds the world champion. “Personally, I think that when I’m 40, 44… I won’t be the same as I am now. But maybe not in terms of motivation either. And if you’re not in a top car, then definitely not. I think if Fernando (Alonso) were in a top car, then… Like in 2023, he could be fighting for a podium place. Then you see the fighter come back up. But if you’ve been world champion twice, and you’ve won a lot. And then you’re driving for P10. Yes, then you think: why am I doing this?”
