Lewis Hamilton has never entered such a long winless streak in his racing career. The Briton who was once considered the greatest F1 driver is struggling to recreate his old form.
Since the regulations changed in 2022, the Briton has failed to secure a single race win or pole position. The 7x world champion was also outperformed by his rookie teammate George Russell.
The Briton’s career has entered some tough times. He feels disconnected from his car and has accused Mercedes of ignoring his advice. Hamilton also separated from his longtime physio and confidant Angela Cullen.
With Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominating F1, Dutch F1 expert Rob Kamphues claims the era of the Mercedes driver has ended. The Dutchman effectively believes it’s highly unlikely that Hamilton will ever win his 8th driver’s title.
The Era of Lewis Hamilton is over
Kamphues claims it’s highly unlikely that Lewis Hamilton will return to his old form. The Dutch reporter believes the 7x champion has suffered a major setback in recent years.
The biggest one was the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP when Max Verstappen pipped the Briton in the penultimate lap to claim the title. Although the result was controversial, Hamilton’s confidence plummeted since the incident.
Kamphues stated, “Lewis hasn’t won a race since then. He hasn’t achieved a pole or even started from the front row. In 2022 he also finished behind his younger teammate in the championship and that younger teammate also won the only race Mercedes won.
The Dutchman also claims that the era of Mercedes is over. Hamilton’s struggles with his car paired with some key departures have affected the racer.
He added, “The idea that the empire is collapsing is also confirmed by the transfer of James Vowles to Williams and the departure of his beloved physio Angela Cullen. So in a row, it’s as clear as a lump, right?”
Cullen’s departure was the most shocking news. The New Zealander was the 38-year-old’s physio since 2016 and close friend. Hamilton announced after the season opener in Bahrain that Cullen had departed from her role in the paddock to pursue personal ambitions.
Hamilton would argue otherwise claims Kamphues
Kamphues believes Hamilton and his fans would disagree with his viewpoints. There are plenty of examples of drivers who have made a comeback in the sport after taking a break.
4x champion Alain Prost left F1 in 1992 after failing to bear rival Ayrton Senna. However, the Frenchman rejoined Williams in 1993 and won his fourth title beating the Brazilian. Hamilton would also look into the career of former teammate and rival Fernando Alonso who is still continuing at the age of 41.
Alonso failed to win a title with Ferrari and retired in 2018 after a disastrous spell with McLaren. He returned again in 2020 with Alpine. After a heated exit from the French team, the Spaniard is now a regular on the podium with his new team Aston Martin.
Kamphues claims Hamilton would desire a career revival like Alonso. However, even if the 7x champion moves to Aston Martin, Ferrari, or Red Bull, he cannot beat the likes of Max Verstappen.
Even if Hamilton takes over from Alonso after a year, Kamphues doesn’t see him claiming an 8th title. He asserted, “It could of course happen, although it is all highly unlikely that he will win an eighth title in 2025.
There are reports that the Briton is delaying his contract negotiations with Mercedes over concerns about the team not returning to its old competitive form. In that case, Eddie Jordan claimed that Hamilton should consider moving to Ferrari in order to beat Verstappen.
