Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton has had a difficult last few years in F1, with rumors of the Briton retiring surfacing once again ahead of the Canadian GP. Hamilton took to Instagram and dropped a four-word message, putting the retirement rumors to bed.
Since losing the 2021 championship to Max Verstappen, Hamilton has struggled to find himself at the front of the grid. A lot of it has to do with the ground effect cars introduced in 2022 and Mercedes not being able to exploit the performance like the rivals.
Lewis Hamilton made the move to Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, but again struggled to match teammate Charles Leclerc’s performance, going the whole season without a podium.
However, the new generation cars brought a ray of hope with the Briton being positive about how the 2026 car feels to drive. He also scored his first podium for the Scuderia at the Chinese GP. But in the last couple of rounds in Japan and Miami, Hamilton again failed to beat Leclerc.
Amid this, multiple pundits suggested that the seven-time F1 champion retire from the sport, and rumors about the same started circling the paddock. Ahead of the Canadian GP, Hamilton addressed the rumors and denied them.
Lewis Hamilton took to Instagram during the media day at the Canadian GP and dropped a four-word message amid the retirement rumors. The caption read,
“Get used to it.”
During the media day, as Hamilton addressed the retirement rumors, he said,
“Yeah, I’m still in contract so everything is 100% clear to me. I’m still focused, I’m still motivated, I still love what I do with all my heart.”
“I’m going to be here for quite some time so get used to it. There’s a lot of people that are trying to retire me and that’s not even in my thoughts. I’m already thinking of what will be next and planning for the next five years. I still plan to be here for some time,” continued Lewis Hamilton
The four-word caption for the Instagram post was an extract from his response to the retirement rumors during the interview ahead of the Canadian GP.
Lewis Hamilton is in a “good place” with Ferrari
When Lewis Hamilton first arrived at Ferrari, questions about his gelling with the new environment were raised, especially with Ferrari being infamous for how they get things done. Ahead of the 2026 season, Hamilton’s race engineer Riccardo Adami was moved to a different role.
All these, along with Hamilton’s struggles, raised questions on whether the Briton found himself at home at Ferrari.
“When you have a huge group of people, there are so many different energies and you have to be quite dynamic to integrate into those different sections. I feel like I’m in a good place with my team. There’s always going to be teething issues and stuff that you have to work on but I’m really happy,” said Lewis Hamilton
The seven-time F1 champion signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari, with reports suggesting it runs until the end of the 2027 season, with Hamilton having the option to extend it until the end of 2028.
Edited by Pranay Bhagi
