Lewis Hamilton is now officially a Ferrari F1 driver (Image: Getty)
does not believe that is past his prime but rather that he is struggling with the latest generation of F1 cars. In a warning to his new employer, , the chief assessed that the seven-time world champion’s late-braking and aggressive corner entries are mismatched with the desires of the current machines.
Throughout the turbo-hybrid era, Hamilton was nearly unstoppable. He secured six of his seven Drivers’ championship titles with . He came within one lap of adding another before Michael Masi’s controversial race directing allowed to triumph in 2021.
Most expected the two motorsport giants to renew their fight in 2022. However, while and Verstappen were set free to kickstart an F1 dynasty, Hamilton and struggled with an unpredictable car plagued by porpoising issues.
Hamilton had to wait until the 2024 British Grand Prix to end his winless streak, marking 945 days since his gritty triumph in Jeddah. Despite claiming two victories last year, the seven-time world champion ended the campaign narrowly behind team-mate in the points, with a humbling 19-5 deficit in qualifying.
Despite fears about his qualifying speed, Wolff is not too concerned. “This generation of car doesn’t suit Lewis,” he told . “He brakes late and drives the car aggressively into the corners.
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Toto Wolff has explained the reasons behind Lewis Hamilton’s struggles (Image: Getty)
“The car and the tyres sometimes don’t forgive that. It’s more noticeable in qualifying than in the race. There may have been other factors involved. I don’t think his head was already on his new team. Lewis is too professional for that.”
Quizzed about the Brit’s age after his 40th birthday, Wolff continued: “That affects all of us. But I think that a top athlete like Lewis, who is completely focused on one thing, can put it aside for a long time. You can see it best in Fernando [Alonso]. With all his experience, he still drives a fast car. It’s similar with Lewis.”
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Despite the warning from Wolff, boss Fred Vasseur is not concerned about Hamilton’s struggles in 2024. “Not at all,” he said. “Have a look at the 50 laps that he did in Vegas. Starting P10, finishing on the gearbox of Russell, I’m not worried at all.”
Given ’s impressive end to the 2024 campaign, Hamilton has an exciting 2025 season to look forward to. However, if he is to avoid a similar fate in his team-mate battle against the formidable Charles Leclerc, he will need to adapt quickly to life in Maranello.