Lewis Hamilton at Maranello on his first day as a Ferrari driver (Image: Getty Images)
Ferrari are taking on an “out of sorts” Lewis Hamilton with the “clock ticking” on his reign at the pinnacle of Formula 1.
The Scuderia didn’t hesitate to snap up the opportunity as soon as the Briton was up for grabs, eager to bring on board a seasoned seven-time Formula 1 champion intent on claiming an illustrious eighth title before hanging up his helmet.
However, at 40 years old, having celebrated his birthday this January, Hamilton is seemingly approaching the latter stages of his exceptional motorsport journey. Moreover, his performance in the latest F1 car iterations has markedly dropped off from his golden standard.
He’s spent the last three seasons grappling with vehicles that have lacked competitive edge.
His seventh-place finish in the previous season’s Drivers’ Championship marks the nadir of his storied F1 tenure. Equally telling is the widespread discussion over how he’s been overtaken by teammate during the yearly qualifiers, igniting speculation about Hamilton’s fading dominance.
Despite these concerns, ‘s team principal Frederic Vasseur has expressed zero doubts about Hamilton’s prowess, unperturbed by his age. Nevertheless, ex-F1 driver David Coulthard, commenting for Channel 4, couldn’t mask his apprehension, acknowledging some signs that might hint at decline for his compatriot.
Channel 4 F1 pundit David Coulthard (Image: Getty Images)
Coulthard remarked: “Lewis is a winning machine, he’s broken all the records, but this isn’t a personality contest, it’s not an opinion contest – it’s a data-driven contest. And to be out-qualified consistently by George… the greats don’t have bad cars.
“He’s got out of sorts with this current phase of his age and formula, and whether are the kickstart to bring him back or not remains to be seen, but I’d say that’s pretty worrying. It doesn’t detract from his brilliance, doesn’t take away anything from the records, but there is a thing called Mother Nature and the clock is ticking.”
Hamilton made the decision to switch from to , believing it offered him the best chance of securing another title. Despite suggestions of a decline in his ability, many of his competitors still view the Brit as a significant threat.
This includes , who anticipates his 2021 title rival will give him a run for his money this year if can equip him with a car capable of competing with ‘s vehicles. “[2021] was a great rivalry at the time with two amazing teams going up against each other. That’s something that I will always appreciate,” the Dutchman told the Mirror.
“It all depends on how competitive is as well. I do feel that when Lewis has a good car he gets more motivated naturally. That’s how it is. Maybe it’s good for him to have a little switch of scenery and new motivation because I don’t think he will ever lose it. It’s just how you use it.”