‘It’s time’: Schumacher delivers brutal Hamilton and Alonso verdict

Few figures in Formula 1 deliver uncomfortable opinions with quite as little hesitation as Ralf Schumacher – and his latest verdict on two of the sport’s biggest icons is guaranteed to ignite outrage among the sport’s fanbase.

According to Schumacher, the time has come for both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to walk away from Formula 1 for good.

The comments might land like a thunderbolt in a sport in which Hamilton and Alonso still command an enormous following despite both drivers now deep into the twilight years of their careers.

But Schumacher did not attempt to soften the blow.

“Hamilton is in a better position again this year,” Schumacher told Sky Deutschland’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast. “But over the course of the season, he won’t stand a chance against Leclerc.

“It’s time [to retire]. And I have to say the same about Fernando Alonso: Hamilton and Alonso have had a wonderful time in Formula 1, but now it’s time for both of them to vacate their cockpits at the end of the year and give young people a chance.”

Hamilton under fire despite Ferrari improvement

Schumacher’s comments come at a delicate moment for Hamilton’s Ferrari career.

The seven-time world champion finally secured his first podium in Ferrari colours earlier this season in China, offering signs that his difficult transition from Mercedes may finally be stabilising after a bruising 2025 campaign.

Yet recent races have reopened familiar questions.

Charles Leclerc has once again emerged as Ferrari’s benchmark, outperforming Hamilton comfortably in the two grands prix following that podium breakthrough. And for Schumacher, the trajectory appears obvious.

The six-time Grand Prix winner believes Ferrari should already be looking toward the next generation – specifically toward Oliver Bearman.

“And I also believe that, if he gets the chance, he’ll even pose a challenge to Charles Leclerc,” Schumacher added. “I’m pretty sure of that. So I’d say he’s actually better.”

That final line may prove even more inflammatory than the retirement call itself.

Suggesting Bearman could already offer Ferrari more than Hamilton is the kind of statement guaranteed to divide Formula 1 fans sharply down the middle – especially given Hamilton’s legendary status and enduring commercial pull inside the sport.

Alonso’s future still hanging in the balance

Over at Aston Martin, Alonso’s F1 future is anything but certain.

The two-time world champion turns 45 in July, became a father earlier this year, and is approaching the final months of his current contract with Team Silverstone. Unlike Hamilton, Alonso has openly acknowledged that retirement is now a genuine consideration.

"Sometime in the summer, I need to make a decision,” Alonso said.

"At the moment I didn't sit with myself to think about that. I never thought about it in a deep way and I need to speak with my family as well. I need to speak with my people first and decide what to do next year.

"I'm very relaxed about it. If I continue racing, I think it will be a better season than this one with the project in year two.

"If I stop racing, I know that I will race in other series."

Read also:

• Alonso fuels more F1 retirement talk: ‘I’m open to everything’

That final point underlines the reality Schumacher’s argument cannot fully erase: neither Hamilton nor Alonso appears ready to disappear quietly.

Both still believe they belong at the top level. Both still carry immense value to their teams. And both remain capable of moments that younger drivers can only dream of producing.

But Schumacher’s message was not about sentimentality. It was about timing. And in his eyes, Formula 1’s old guard has stayed long enough.

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