Lewis Hamilton’s success in Formula 1 is currently unmatched by any other driver in history. However, former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert believes that Lewis Hamilton is past the prime of his career.
After a devastating loss in 2021, Lewis Hamilton has been vocal about wanting to win another championship before he retires. He is 38 years old at the moment. This has led fans to wonder if he still has what it takes to become a champion.
Johnny Herbert – “He is up against a new generation”
Johnny Herbert believes that Lewis Hamilton is no longer battling drivers from his era. He is battling a younger and more modern generation of drivers and cars. This is what Johnny Herbert said:
“Lewis may not be at his peak, that peak has gone by, but it is still a bloody high ability that he still possesses. I don’t see that being an issue at all. As we all know, for instance, if you play golf and you hit a great shot, that makes you feel, ‘I want to crack on’. That is the thing that can suddenly reignite that fire in Lewis which I think is slightly turned down at the moment because it is not quite working out in the way that he wanted.”
Since 2021, Mercedes has not been able to give Hamilton a car to fight for the championship. Even still, Hamilton’s teammate, George Russell, managed to outscore Hamilton in the 2022 season. If Hamilton wants to fight for the championship again, he needs to find that spark again.
After what appeared to be an improvised ruling during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Hamilton suffer a shocking defeat to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the world champion considered leaving the sport for good. “I don’t know if I can really put into words the feeling that I had.” pic.twitter.com/1Ll5iuLgYK
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 8, 2022
“He is absolutely in the top-three British drivers ever,” Johnny Herbert said. “He is up against a new generation. There always has been in most decades. I remember Ayrton turning up and changing everything in ’84, Niki did likewise, Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark. Then in the modern era it’s Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher.”
“They are the special ones who come through every decade. And I think we are seeing that now with Max, Lando, and George.”
Lewis Hamilton is the oldest driver on the grid after Fernando Alonso. Both drivers have been teammates and rivals for each other. There was a lot of heat between the two at a point, but it seems as though they have put the past behind them now. We saw the two drivers embrace after they both scored a podium at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
Can Lewis Hamilton win another championship?
The events that took place during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix shocked both Hamilton and Mercedes. Since then, the two have made it their goal to get their redemption in 2021. Unfortunately, the regulation changes for the 2022 season hit the team hard.
Although Hamilton’s prime years in Formula 1 are behind him, he is still motivated to win another championship. However, Mercedes is currently not able to provide Hamilton with a Championship-winning car. They are due to bring in some upgrades at Imola. It is promised that these upgrades will be a step towards building that championship-winning car.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull have been dominating the sport for the last 2 years. However, this may not last for as long as expected due to the penalties they received for exceeding the budget cap in 2021. We could see Mercedes take advantage of this and work towards providing that championship-winning car for Hamilton.