Lewis Hamilton is not looking forward to the 2026 Formula One season despite producing a fine recovery drive to finish eighth at Sunday's Las Vegas Grand Prix. 

Hamilton endured yet another difficult weekend for the Scuderia in Sin City, qualifying 20th on pure pace for the first time during his record-breaking 19-year career in the sport. 

Indeed, it was also the first time that a Ferrari was the slowest car out on track in qualifying since Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The seven-time champion slowly made his way through the field in Saturday's race but could not find a way past Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg as he initially took the chequered flag in 10th place. 

Hamilton was, however, bumped up to eighth after McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who finished second and fourth respectively, were disqualified for technical infringements shortly after the race concluded. 

But that provided Hamilton with little pleasure, with the 40-year-old revealing he was eager to close arguably the most disappointing chapter of his career. 

"It's a terrible result. There is nothing positive to take from today," Hamilton told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I'm eager for it to end, I'm looking forward to it ending. I'm not looking forward to the next one."

Asked if that meant he was not looking forward to the next race in Qatar, Hamilton replied: "Next season."

From the back of the grid to points

Nicely done, Lewis! pic.twitter.com/bzP1EmcJeb

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 23, 2025

Hamilton's struggles have coincided with Ferrari's drop-off in the constructors' championship, with Ferrari now fourth in the team standings following the race in Las Vegas. 

With Norris and Piastri disqualified, Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were propelled into the podium places, moving the Silver Arrows 53 points clear of the Scuderia.

Ferrari have secured just seven podiums in 2025, all of which have come from Charles Leclerc, who ended Sunday's race in fourth. 

Hamilton is on course for his third-worst points haul in an F1 season after 2008 (98) and 2009 (49), but those campaigns were under a different point-scoring system. 

Should he fail to finish in the top three in the final two races of the calendar year, it would mark a first season without a podium finish for Hamilton in F1.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said he would consider Hamilton's comments after the team debrief, noting they were made in the heat of the moment.

"Let's calm down. To jump out of the car and to make the first comment... it's always a bit too much and let's discuss it after the debrief," Vasseur said.

"Obviously, it's been tough for Lewis the last couple of weekends. He said it's been hard.

"I can understand the reaction from Lewis just after the race, but we just have to calm down to discuss and to be focused on the next two [races], because we will be back.

"And keep in mind also that Lewis was there in FP1.

"In FP2, the pace was good, and it means that we have to build up the weekend like this and, for sure, to start from P20 is not the best way to have a good result."