Lewis Hamilton 'twisted' fear highlighted after 'carrying on too long'

Former F1 driver David Brabham believes Lewis Hamilton has prolonged his career too long, suggesting the seven-time champion should have retired years ago.

Hamilton enjoyed a dominant stretch in F1 from 2014 to 2020, winning six titles in that time.

He also narrowly missed out on adding to his tally in 2016 and 2021, suffering defeats at the final rounds to Nico Rosberg and Max Verstappen, respectively.

Mercedes slipped back in the F1 pecking order when fresh technical regulations were introduced in 2022, causing Hamilton to disappear from title contention for the first time in almost a decade.

He opted for a change in environment this year with a switch to Ferrari, but the move has failed to materialise strong results as the Briton is still awaiting his first podium with the Italian squad.

Like all teams, Ferrari has switched its development focus to the 2026 car, which is being constructed under a fresh set of regulations.

When asked if Hamilton should opt to end his time in F1 if next year's rules fail to add to his success, Brabham exclusively told RacingNews365: “I think he probably should have done that already.

“He may be carrying on a little bit too long.

“I fear for him in the sense that he’s gone into quite a challenging situation with Ferrari to get them to become world champions again.

“I can understand why he feels he could do that. Time will tell whether he can.

“For me, he probably should have retired a couple of years ago and gone out on a real high.”

Article continues below the poll.

Lewis Hamilton legacy could be 'tainted' by current form

Hamilton was outpaced at Mercedes in his final years at the team by George Russell, while current team-mate Charles Leclerc has had the measure of him at Ferrari.

The 40-year-old is chasing an eighth world title, which would see him break away from the title tally record he shares with Michael Schumacher.

But should he continue to struggle until he decides to hang up his helmet, Brabham believes it could overshadow the success he enjoyed during his career.

“My concern is that the level that he got to is not going to be reached again and he'll be remembered for the last couple of years of his career more than he will be for what he's achieved, which is incredible and should be revered in that way,” Brabham said.

“But things can get twisted and tainted if the last few seasons of your career have not gone the way you want.

“That's where people will remember you most. I hope he's able to pull it off.”