Nico Rosberg has labeled Lewis Hamilton’s tumultuous first campaign with Ferrari an "incredibly hard" predicament, insisting the 2026 rule changes represent the seven-time world champion’s only viable path to salvaging his legacy. The 2016 title winner, who shared Mercedes garages with Hamilton for six seasons, described the Briton’s 2025 performance as "painful" after Hamilton endured a podium-less year for the first time in his storied career.
Speaking during Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying—where Hamilton exited in Q1 for the third consecutive race—Rosberg emphasized the 40-year-old’s no-exit dilemma: "He’s stuck because walking away means massive loss of face. It’s horrible; this isn’t how the greatest of all time deserves his legacy to conclude." Hamilton’s struggles culminated in Ferrari’s worst season in decades, with the team failing to win a race and plummeting to fourth in the constructors’ standings.
Rosberg stressed Hamilton must honor his contract through 2026 despite the adversity, calling an early departure "not cool" after just one season. "He only just launched this Ferrari project. Quitting now makes no sense—he must push forward and pray the next car suits him," Rosberg stated, highlighting the current SF-25’s inadequacies. The German pointed directly to 2026’s sweeping technical regulations as Hamilton’s "huge hope," framing it as a complete "reset" where Ferrari could suddenly field a championship-contending machine.
Hamilton’s specific qualifying woes drew particular scrutiny from Rosberg, who noted consecutive intra-team qualifying drubbings—first against George Russell at Mercedes in 2024, then Charles Leclerc at Ferrari this year. "His race pace showed flashes of brilliance, but qualifying pace destroyed him," Rosberg analyzed. "With the car transforming next year, he might rediscover that old qualifying magic." Hamilton himself previously branded the 2022–2025 ground-effect era "probably the worst" in his career, managing only two wins across four seasons.
As Hamilton regroups for 2026, Rosberg’s verdict remains stark: survival hinges on Ferrari engineering a competitive package for the regulation overhaul. Without it, motorsport’s most decorated driver risks cementing an uncharacteristically barren chapter in his otherwise legendary journey.
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