The World Champion seven times, the most number of wins, pole positions, and podium finishes in Formula 1 history. There are many accolades for Sir Lewis Hamilton, but not many athletes have had the same influence inside and outside their sport as him.
Throughout his career, Lewis Hamilton has outperformed his idol, Ayrton Senna, in the pole position record, eclipsed and matched the legendary Michael Schumacher’s seven world championships.
After being allegedly robbed of a record-breaking eighth title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021, Hamilton was expected to come back with a vengeance and restart his historic quest; but events took a different course.
Now, the main debate is whether Hamilton should consider retiring. Will his move from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025 improve the situation?
Mercedes and Hamilton are losing their competitiveness
Mercedes is struggling, particularly with porpoising; but the other teams have also had their fair share of issues. More likely, the mental toll of failing to win his eighth title completely devastated him. Despite his impending two-year contract extension, he even admitted to Vanity Fair that he considered retiring after Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton’s lack of competitiveness this season compared to the RBs and Ferraris is somewhat due to Mercedes being a substantially weaker car. If the car’s performance this year had been as near as it was in 2020 or 2021, he would undoubtedly have pushed Max to the limit. Hamilton seems to be losing his confidence every time he is in his W15, which is very unlikely for a legendary driver like Hamilton.
He seemed to be battling to maintain a place higher than eighth or ninth, much alone podium finishes. His last race podium came at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2023, followed by a Sprint podium at the Chinese Grand Prix in 2024 in his Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton has been out-qualified by teammate George Russell
Not only was he out-qualified by his teammate George Russell for the fifth time in a row, but Lewis Hamilton also failed to qualify for Q3 in Albert Park for the first time since 2010, starting from P11. Some fans voiced concern over Hamilton’s performance, questioning whether his age or dislike for the car is causing this decline.
“George is driving beautifully,” Brundle told Sky Sports News. “I think there’s very little to choose between those two and that’s a massive compliment to George Russell because we know just how brilliant Lewis Hamilton is and how motivated he is.”
Hamilton has not won a race since, as Mercedes has failed to establish their footing in the new ground-effect aerodynamic era, leaving them with only one win, Russell in first place at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix. Hamilton’s winless streak now stands at 51, his longest in a sport where he has won 103 Grand Prix and seven World Championships.
Every passing race is imposing a negative impact on his legacy
The Lewis Hamilton of 2020 was at the pinnacle of his performance, the finest he had ever been. He broke almost every Schumacher record that remained broken, and he did so easily. Hamilton’s fans were optimistic about his comeback in the 2022 Season of F1. However, 2022 caught everyone off guard and has lingered till this day.
Hamilton has been characterized as a mere mortal easily surpassed by other drivers in a direct fight because “the car is not good enough.” With Hamilton losing competitiveness, many concerns and questions are being raised about Hamilton’s ability to race further. Is he truly ‘finished’?
However, his final season at Mercedes has begun poorly. Hamilton has not placed in the top five in any of the first six races, with his best finish being sixth place at the Miami Grand Prix. This has left him in ninth place in the Drivers’ Standings, with only 27 points.
His form, however, has not been outstanding in some time. Hamilton last won a Grand Prix in the final race of the 2021 season. Regardless, Hamilton is hungry to improve his form. Will Hamilton’s ‘remontada’ finally happen in 2025, with him changing sides from Mercedes to Ferrari? Time will tell.