Lewis Hamilton at the Qatar Grand Prix. Photo: RacePictures.
Despite the seven-time world champion finishing 18 times in the top-10 this season, he has failed to finish on the podium.
“For sure he’s giving himself next year to see where he’s at, and if he’s competitive for sure he’s staying longer. But if he’s not competitive, he’s over 40 now, he may be closer to the day.”
The 105-time race winner looked to have turned things around after the summer break but his recent performances have gone from bad to worse.
Guenther Steiner. Photo: RacePictures.
The 40-year-old was eliminated in both SQ1 and Q1 in Qatar, and then he finished outside the points in both the sprint and the main race.
New season, new regulations
Steiner added: “Hopefully Lewis can come back. He never liked the ground effect cars, the cars under the current regulations.
“Next year, there is no ground effect anymore, so let’s see what he can do then.
“He will have been a year at Ferrari, he knows their culture, he’s more mature at Ferrari.
“Let’s see what happens next year. And if it isn’t happening next year, I think there will be some changes coming.”
Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog’s F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog’s YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.