Former Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button believes Lewis Hamilton still has the speed to compete at the highest level and should not be considering retirement at this stage of his career.
Button said Hamilton’s position at Ferrari depends heavily on his performance on track, adding that the Italian team would not hesitate to end his stint if he fails to deliver the expected results.
Hamilton, who endured a difficult debut season with Ferrari in 2025 and previously described himself as “useless,” has begun showing signs of improvement in the 2026 season.
He started the year with a fourth-place finish in Australia before securing his first podium for Ferrari with a third-place finish in China.
The British driver then finished sixth in both Japan and Miami, leaving him 49 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli and eight points behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
“Twelve months ago was not an easy period for Lewis. He spent many years at Mercedes with full support, then moved to a new team in Italy without speaking the language, while his teammate already had that advantage,” Button said.
“At 40, learning becomes much harder compared to your twenties. But it’s interesting to see him becoming competitive again and matching Charles,” added Button, the 2009 world champion.
However, Button stressed that in elite motorsport, determination alone is not enough to secure a driver’s future.
