De la Rosa suggests that Hamilton might retire after 2026.

      "It’s not this Ferrari that’s causing him issues."

      Lewis Hamilton's severe decline has raised new questions about his future, with Pedro de la Rosa cautioning that 2026 might be the seven-time champion's last opportunity to return to his former self. Hamilton's season has reached new lows in Qatar, where he has now been outqualified by Charles Leclerc 18-5— the worst defeat any teammate has ever faced against the Monegasque, eclipsing Marcus Ericsson’s 17-4 loss in 2018. He has also been unable to progress beyond Q1 for two consecutive races, a situation previously only observed when Ferrari utilized emergency substitutes Luca Badoer and Giancarlo Fisichella during Felipe Massa’s 2009 absence.

      Hamilton has been spotted evading cameras in the paddock and acknowledged that Pierre Gasly approached him after the sprint, commenting, "Yo, you look so bad." Hamilton responded, "Yeah, I know—no sh*t, Sherlock." When asked what needs to improve before Sunday’s race, Hamilton retorted, "I’ll be here all day. It’s just unbelievable."

      Leclerc concurred that Ferrari's performance in Qatar was "awful," but the score between teammates reflects the reality. Ferrari's team principal, Frederic Vasseur, recognized that psychological fatigue has significantly impacted the season after the team ceased development for 2025 as early as April. "It was a tough decision," he said. "Perhaps I underestimated the mental aspect. Knowing that there won’t be any aerodynamic development left while still having 18 or 20 races to go is challenging to manage."

      De la Rosa, Hamilton's former McLaren teammate and current DAZN analyst, believes Hamilton's downturn began with the implementation of ground-effect regulations. "It’s not this Ferrari that’s troubling him," he stated. "It’s the ground effect. Since 2022, we haven’t seen the Hamilton of 2021—aggressive, fast, complete. He hasn’t stood out against Russell at Mercedes, either." De la Rosa insists that 2026 will be critical. "If next year we see the Hamilton we’ve known for decades, fantastic. If not, then there will be something more serious than ground effect, and he will need to seriously consider his next steps—because everyone’s time eventually comes."