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Ferrari Reportedly Hesitant to Extend Lewis Hamilton Beyond 2026 as Results Lag

Despite a late-season points run and positive signals about settling in, doubts over performance and the car’s ceiling are shaping Ferrari’s near-term planning.

Overview

  • Multiple outlets, including ESPN as cited by several reports, say Ferrari currently does not plan to offer Hamilton a new deal beyond his contract that runs through 2026.
  • Hamilton is sixth in the standings without a grand prix podium for Ferrari, 64 points behind Charles Leclerc, with his lone 2025 victory coming in the Shanghai sprint.
  • Form has improved with 37 points across the last five weekends, and a Mexico City qualifying P3 was undone by a 10-second penalty that dropped him to eighth.
  • Leclerc warned holding second in the constructors’ will be “very, very tough” and demands perfect execution, with Ferrari narrowly ahead of Mercedes in a one-point fight reported this week.
  • Speculation points to academy talent Oliver Bearman as a future option, while Hamilton speaks of cultural integration and looks to the 2026 regulation reset for a competitive leap.