Lewis Hamilton urged to be ‘honest’ about his F1 future by grand prix winner

Lewis Hamilton has been urged to be “honest” with himself when it comes to retiring from Formula 1 by ex-driver Johnny Herbert.

Hamilton is the most successful driver in F1 history, having matched the legendary Michael Schumacher on seven world championships, while setting the record for the most race victories and pole positions.

The 41-year-old Briton had endured a difficult few years since being denied a record-breaking eighth world title in controversial circumstances in 2021, and has been unable to compete for a championship since.

Hamilton suffered his worst F1 season of his illustrious career in 2025, having made the blockbuster switch from Mercedes to join Ferrari.

He has enjoyed a promising start to 2026 and scored a long-awaited first podium with Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix, though he is behind both Mercedes drivers and team-mate Charles Leclerc in the standings after three the first three races.

Hamilton signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari in 2024 and claimed last November that he has a “pretty long contract” with the Scuderia. Having emerged from the winter rejuvenated, Hamilton has insisted he has no plans to quit racing yet.

But Herbert, a three-time grand prix winner, has offered some advice to Hamilton.

“Probably the one thing I would probably say, if I was close to him, was be honest,” Herbert said when asked if he had any advice for Hamilton during the Stay On Track podcast.

“Because there is a point where things aren’t going to be as easy as they once were. Your competitiveness is probably not going to be where it once was.

“There is a point where you’re going to have to sort of go: ‘It’s not quite where it was, and I’ve got to go. I’ve had my time’.

“He’s with a younger teammate as well, who is sort of that next generation that we’ve seen, and there is always going to be that as well.”

Herbert suggested that Hamilton will find it increasingly harder to compete against the younger generation of F1 drivers.

“With all the racers that we’ve seen in the past, the world champions we’ve had, from the Fittipaldis, to before that, the Stewarts and the Clarks, then with the Piquets and Mansells, yourself, Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, and etc, it always gets better. They always get more complete, for some reason,” Herbert added.

“And that is where things change, and where you get to a point where you go, ‘It’s not as easy as it once was.’ So for me, I think it’s just being honest with yourself, and when you need to sort of go, ‘I need to hang my boots up.’

“He’s motivated. He’s still thoroughly pushing himself to the limits. But, of course, he’s being tested by Charles. But is he at the point where it’s as easy as it once was.

“When you’re sort of riding the wave, it’s quite easy in many respects. But there is a point, I remember at the end of my career, where it wasn’t as easy, and then that’s where I went, ‘I think time has come’.”