Following a lackluster start to Mercedes’ season, Lewis Hamilton’s priorities have come under scrutiny.
The latest person in the motorsport world to cast doubt on Lewis Hamilton’s mindset is former Formula One driver Mark Blundell. He questions whether the British driver has the “appetite” and “vigor” necessary to compete against Max Verstappen. After starting the season with two seventh- and ninth-place finishes, Hamilton now trails Red Bull’s driver by 43 points.
Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard have already expressed doubts regarding Hamilton’s reasons for wanting to play one more season for the Silver Arrows. He has begged Mercedes to make significant adjustments prior to this week’s Australian Grand Prix, expressing his dismay with the W15 in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Blundell, who competed in Formula One for four years, one of which was spent with McLaren in the 1990s, has now questioned Hamilton’s desire to take on his more youthful rivals at the top of the grid. Although Blundell is aware that Verstappen is driving a better car than he is, he questions if the British driver has what it takes to return to title competition.
Blundell told AceOdds, “I think it’s going to be just down to whether he’s still got the appetite.” Now that he’s getting close to forty, does he still wake up with that much energy? And does he rise with that much resolve to go make the delivery? Furthermore, it’s not just about being on track—it’salsooff track, as I say to you.
“People probably don’t get to see the enormous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes very often. That’s a lot of what inspires me: “Can I reach Maranello and truly motivate everyone to strive toward our shared goals?” To take the car to the next level, we need to put in more hours and ensure that it has evolved.
“And then on Sunday afternoon, I get to go finish it all off by driving a Grand Prix and giving a great performance. That’s a hard, demanding job. Yes, I agree that working with someone who makes tens of millions of dollars is a demanding and difficult job, but that’s the reality. It still needs to be given to him. Those guys are capable of that. It involves far more than just operating a Grand Prix vehicle.
Blundell has expressed concern that Hamilton, who is 39 years old, might be less motivated to push himself to the limit. The Mercedes driver would strongly disagree, but Blundell asserts that there is a greater likelihood of a driver’s attention shifting as they approach the end of their career.
“Let’s be realistic, how old is he now?” he continued. Despite his continued physical fitness and ability to complete tasks, responsibilities and life changes are inevitable.
“You begin to wonder if it was really worth it to make that first turn at 150 mph next to a Max Verstappen anymore.
“These are things that happen as you get a little older; I’m not saying that’s what’s on his mind right now.
“I’m sure that could be the case at some point. There are other possibilities for where he goes in the future, and I believe he’ll be driving a Formula One car for the next few years. However, he still has a lot of life left to live and pursue.”
Leave a Reply