Ralf Schumacher Tells Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso 'It's Time' to Retire

Ralf Schumacher has bluntly told Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso that “it’s time” to retire at the end of the F1 2026 season. Speaking on Sky Deutschland’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast, the six-time Grand Prix winner argued both multi-time champions should vacate their cockpits and give young drivers a chance—despite the veterans insisting they are not ready to step away.

Why it matters:

Hamilton and Alonso, both in their 40s, are the oldest drivers on the grid, but their performance and hunger remain high. A forced retirement of two of the most successful figures in F1 history would reshape the driver market and open doors for the next generation—especially Ferrari-backed Oliver Bearman, whom Schumacher rates as potentially better than Charles Leclerc.

The details:

• Schumacher believes Hamilton “won’t stand a chance” against Leclerc over the course of the season, despite Hamilton’s first Ferrari podium in China and an improved mindset in 2026.
• The same logic applies to 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.”
• Oliver Bearman, who scored 17 points in the first four rounds of 2026 with Haas, “deserves” the Ferrari promotion, according to Schumacher. He added: “If he gets the chance, he’ll even pose a challenge to Charles Leclerc. I’m pretty sure of that. So I’d say he’s actually better.”
• David Coulthard recently suggested Alonso is no longer as fast as he once was—a natural decline at 45—but acknowledged the Spaniard is still “hungry”.
• Alonso himself, speaking at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix last month, pushed back on retirement talk: “At the moment, I don’t feel it is that time yet. I feel competitive, I feel motivated, I feel happy when I drive. So, yeah, hopefully not the last season.”
• Hamilton fired back at critics after his Chinese podium, saying negativity comes from “certain individuals” who had not experienced “anywhere near the success that I’d had.” He believes he still has what it takes to “compete at the front.”

What’s next:

Both Hamilton and Alonso have publicly stated they are not ready to retire, suggesting Schumacher’s call will fall on deaf ears. However, the pressure from pundits and the emergence of talents like Bearman and Kimi Antonelli will keep the spotlight on the sport’s veterans. If performance drops, the calls for change will only grow louder.