Former Red Bull and Aston Martin chief engineer Dan Fellows believes significant changes in the Formula 1 driver market in the coming years will depend on Lewis Hamilton’s decision.

The seven-time world champion had a difficult first season with Ferrari, failing to reach the podium once in all 24 Grands Prix. For the first time in his career, Hamilton finished a season without finishing in the top three.

Amid these difficulties, suggestions have emerged that the Briton could retire from Formula 1 after the 2026 season.

Fellows said Hamilton would not want to stay in the championship unless he had a competitive car.

Fellows said: “I believe Hamilton is the key figure in the driver market. It is easy to compare him to Fernando Alonso; although last season was difficult for him, he is still capable of performing at a high level.” he said.

Fellowes added: “Lewis wants to be competitive. He wants a car that can win races. If he doesn’t do that, I’m not sure he wants to continue.”

Ferrari now has a young driver named Oliver Berman, who races for Haas and is considered one of the main candidates for promotion. According to Fellows, if Hamilton decides to retire early, this could start a chain reaction in the driver market.

Fellows said: “If he decides to leave, he will probably announce it in advance so Ferrari has time to prepare. This could require many changes. Berman is the obvious option, but not the only one.”

Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has returned to Portugal to test his GT3 car at the start of the 2026 season.

Last year the Dutch driver took to the track several times in his touring cars; in particular, he participated in the Nordschleife competition, which he won together with his teammate Chris Lulem.

Verstappen has long expressed his passion for endurance racing and plans to compete more frequently in the form of motorsport after retiring from Formula 1. He arrived in Portugal last year, just a week after failing to win another world title against Lando Norris.

The 28-year-old driver arrived at the Portuguese Grand Prix circuit Estoril, where he tested the Mercedes AMG GT3 on wet surfaces.

Let’s remember, at the end of 2025, Verstappen’s endurance racing team announced that it had signed a contract with Mercedes to participate in future competitions.

Verstappen in Mercedes’ Portimão. Images are in the foreground. #daznf1 pic.twitter.com/1NFxvED3So

— joao carlos costa (@jcccomentador) January 14, 2026

Revolut, the name sponsor of the Audi Formula 1 team, criticized the exterior design of Ferrari’s other name partner, HP, which carries the blue logo.

Ferrari and HP announced a multi-year title sponsorship agreement almost two years ago. The contract led to visible changes in the appearance of the Italian team’s cars, especially the appearance of the blue elements on the traditional red livery.

Revolut Marketing Director Antoine Le Nel said he thought this design decision was unsuccessful.

“Brand identity is extremely important. At Revolut, design and user experience are very important and everything needs to fit together. No offense, but what HP and Ferrari have done in terms of design is not a good solution. How to paint a red car blue?”

Le Nel also touched upon positive examples of branding in Formula 1, highlighting Mastercard’s collaboration with McLaren as well as the integration of the Google Chrome brand.