Lewis Hamilton’s eighth title hopes questioned despite Ferrari resurgence
Lewis Hamilton’s chances of securing a record-breaking eighth world title have been called into question by former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya.
Although Hamilton has had a resurgence this season, and won the Barcelona Grand Prix with Ferrari, Montoya says the driver is simply “comfortable” with where he is at.
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Hamilton joined Ferrari in the final year of Formula 1’s ground-effect aerodynamic era, leaving Mercedes after three years without a world title in one final throw of the dice.
Questions, though, were asked about his F1 future – and his age – when he recorded his first campaign in Formula 1 without a single Grand Prix podium.
Hamilton silenced his critics this season when he raced to third place at the Chinese Grand Prix, with the Briton clearly much happier with the new technical regulations as F1 returned to overbody aerodynamics.
He has since gone on to claim a further four podium results, including his first victory in Ferrari colours that he achieved at the Barcelona Grand Prix.
Such has been Hamilton’s form, he sits second in the Drivers’ standings. He is 50 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, with a maximum of 316 points still in play.
But while this has led to some pundits such as Martin Brundle claiming that the 41-year-old could win a record-breaking eighth world title, Montoya says that won’t happen.
Speaking to Express Sport, via Betpack, he said: “I don’t think he is going to be world champion again.”
Instead, the Colombian reckons Hamilton is “comfortable” with his F1 2026 gains.
“His performances show he is on the right path,” he continued, “it shows Ferrari is on the right path and they’re doing an amazing job.
“They’re really being smart about how they go about their business and their strategies.
“And that is really cool to see.”
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He believes Hamilton’s resurgence will see the Briton continue into F1 2027 despite having previously predicted that the Briton would retire at the end of this year.
Speaking to AS Colombia, Montoya said: “Hamilton isn’t leaving for at least two or three years. If Ferrari carries on as it is and Hamilton keeps performing like this, Hamilton won’t retire.
“So, if you’ve got Hamilton for two or three years, the problem with that is that sooner or later someone even cooler will come along for Ferrari,” he said.
That, however, poses a problem for the next generation.
While Brundle has posed the “Plan B” question for Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman, who today races for Haas, Montoya asked about Ferrari’s F2 driver Rafael Câmara.
“For example, if Câmara were to join Formula 1 and they thought Camara was cooler, then Bearman wouldn’t come back – tough luck – because it’s all about timing.
“It’s about how attractive you are, how people see you at that moment.”
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