Charles Lelcerc and Max Verstappen maintain that Lewis Hamilton isn’t done yet, despite his doubts about his speed as he gets closer to turning 40.
Not everyone at Ferrari will have overlooked Lewis Hamilton’s admission of his deteriorating speed. After more than ten years with Mercedes, where he has won six of his seven Formula One driver titles, Hamilton will join the storied Italian team in 2025, when he will be forty years old.
After a lackluster final three seasons with the Silver Arrows, Ferrari dropped Carlos Sainz to make room for the British hero. In that time, he has only won two races, both this year.
Despite having a generally strong race pace, Hamilton’s teammate George Russell has completely outperformed him in qualifying. This season, Russell leads their sprint qualifying 5-1 and their head-to-head qualifying 18-5.
Hamilton made a depressing statement after Friday’s sprint qualifying in Qatar, where he was only able to finish seventh, while Russell finished second. He openly acknowledged that he might have lost pace over one lap.
“Not that great, just like every other quali,” he said. I’m simply sluggish. The same each weekend. In other words, the car felt pretty good, there were no problems, and there wasn’t much more to say.
Hamilton responded, “Who knows,” when asked if his subpar qualifying results couldn’t be attributed solely to himself. I’m definitely not as quick as I once was.
Throughout his career, Hamilton had previously publicly acknowledged his self-doubt. “In the end, when you have tough seasons like this, there are always going to be moments when you’re like, ‘Is it me, or is it the car?'” he acknowledged in 2023, in the midst of yet another Mercedes season without a victory. Is it still with you? Is it gone?
“You know, you’re missing that… It’s truly remarkable when the magic occurs and everything comes together—the car, you, and that spark. And that is what you are looking for.
This season, Hamilton has demonstrated that he still has what it takes to compete at the front of the grid by winning the British Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix, the latter in particularly striking fashion. And when he’s with Ferrari the following season, he’ll undoubtedly do the same.
Hamilton’s competitors are also not dismissing him. Charles Leclerc, his next teammate and a widely considered F1 qualifier, is excited about the opportunity to work with the 105-time grand prix champion.
Leclerc recently told The Guardian that he was “incredibly excited to be working alongside him.” Being in the same car as such a successful driver and being able to demonstrate my abilities is an exciting challenge for me, even though I am also learning from him. As is the case in Formula One, we will both want to defeat one another, but I have no doubt that the competition will be constructive.
Max Verstappen, an old rival, thinks a rejuvenated Hamilton will pose a serious threat the following season. The four-time world champion stated: “He knows he is leaving the team, so it has been difficult for him to get fully motivated this year.”
“I thought that he really stepped up as soon as he got that competitive car and there was a chance to win. He said, “Whatever,” after a few races where the car was challenging.
He won’t ever lose it, in my opinion. He’s accomplished so much. Next year, it will be a new challenge for him. He’ll be extremely driven to prove that he’s a seven-time world champion. However, it will rely on the resources he has.
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