Hamilton dismisses the latest retirement rumors.

      Lewis Hamilton's challenging season reached a new low in Abu Dhabi, yet the seven-time world champion asserts that he is not planning to leave Formula 1. Hamilton crashed during FP3, visibly frustrating the Ferrari team, and then faced his third consecutive exit in Q1, appearing notably devastated. "I don’t want to talk about it," he stated to Sky Italia. "There’s no point in discussing it; I don’t want to explain myself. I feel no happiness at all; I’m very angry and lack the words to express my feelings, just a lot of anger. The team deserved better, that much is certain."

      His struggles have amplified speculation about an imminent retirement, rumors that have been circulating throughout the season as Hamilton's performance has declined. Ralf Schumacher fueled these speculations further on Sky Deutschland on Saturday, suggesting that Ferrari should consider replacing Hamilton with Oliver Bearman for the new 2026 season. "Lewis needs to reflect on himself - he has no one else to blame," he remarked. "He must confront this situation. The season ends for him just as it has been all along. It's a tough situation for him."

      Hamilton's former teammate, Nico Rosberg, noted that the driver appears to be stuck in a mental cycle. "When you find yourself in a situation where you can’t handle it, you try to push the car harder - and then it only deteriorates," Rosberg said. "That reflects the typical negative cycle he’s experiencing."

      Hamilton further fueled retirement speculation when he declined to comment on 2026, stating: "Currently, I’m not looking that far into the future." However, he later firmly denied the retirement rumors when directly asked, asserting: "That’s completely out of the question. It’s not even a topic of discussion." Regarding what led to his struggles in Abu Dhabi - at a track where he has previously won five times - Hamilton acknowledged that yielding his car to Arthur Leclerc in FP1 didn’t aid his performance. "That certainly wasn’t helpful, but it’s the same for everyone," he mentioned.