Hamilton Says He Is “Not Looking Forward” to 2026 After Tough Las Vegas Weekend
Lewis Hamilton says he is already dreading the 2026 Formula 1 season after another difficult race weekend, this time at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion qualified last on the grid — the first time in his 19-year F1 career that this has happened purely because of a lack of pace.
Hamilton fought his way through the field and moved into the points, but he could not get past Nico Hülkenberg’s Sauber in the final laps while on medium tyres. He finished 10th.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Hamilton said:
“It’s a terrible result. There is nothing positive to take from today. I’m eager for it to end… I’m not looking forward to the next one.”
When asked if he meant next weekend’s race in Qatar, Hamilton replied:
“Next season.”
Hamilton is currently sixth in the drivers’ standings, 73 points behind his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc. The 40-year-old has yet to stand on the podium in a full Grand Prix for Ferrari this year, although he did win the sprint race in China back in March.
If Hamilton does not finish in the top three in either of the final two races of 2025, it will be the first season in his F1 career without a single podium.
His problems began with a poor qualifying session in wet conditions on Friday, when he struggled badly on the extreme wet tyres. Two weeks earlier, he described his first season with Ferrari as “a nightmare” after retiring from the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Speaking again after the Las Vegas race, he told Sky Sports:
“I feel terrible. It’s been the worst season ever, and no matter how much I try, it keeps getting worse.”
