Max Verstappen has confessed that Lewis Hamilton's struggles with Ferrari 'pain him', but that he doesn't expect the seven-time world champion to walk away from the sport before the end of his contract.

Hamilton switched from Mercedes to Ferrari off the back of a rollercoaster season that produced two Grand Prix victories, but also a seventh-place Drivers' Championship finish. In 2025, despite finishing one spot higher in the standings, he failed to score a single podium for the first time in his glittering F1 career.

The 40-year-old has a contract that runs until at least the end of the 2026 season, but after a series of miserable weekends left Hamilton counting down the days until the winter break, many have speculated that the sport's most decorated driver could walk away from his contract early.

Verstappen was asked about the Brit's struggles in a post-season interview with Viaplay. "It hasn't been a nice season for him at Ferrari," he replied. "You notice that with everything."

When the interviewer confessed that Hamilton's struggles were a cause of upset for him, Verstappen replied: "To be honest, it hurts my heart as well. It's not nice to see. So quitting? I don't know, he doesn't give up, so he'll definitely be there [next year], but it's not nice to see.''

Hamilton ended the campaign with three consecutive Q1 eliminations, fighting back to finish eighth at the season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Brit's performances were scrutinised by pundits, including former team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg, but the Ferrari driver wasn't keen to take their words on board.

"I wouldn't say anything to them," he hit back when asked about the assessments of his season. "None of them have done what I've done, so they're not even on my level."

Looking at what is keeping him going after the worst season of his F1 career, Hamilton added: "It's the love for what you do, it's the love for racing. I've got amazing support from people around me, my fans. It's that constant keeping an eye on the dream. I still have a dream that I hold hope in my heart for, and that's what I work towards."

Should Hamilton shock the F1 world and move on before the end of his contract, Ferrari have a strong contingency plan. Oliver Bearman is being groomed to succeed the incumbent Scuderia drivers, and the young Brit dazzled throughout his rookie season with Haas, scoring points in five of the last seven races and beating team-mate Esteban Ocon.