As Lewis Hamilton continues to struggle in the 2024 season, one of the key questions that has popped up in the minds of most is whether he is “too old” now. Jeremy Clarkson definitely believes so, even if it did not please an F1 journalist, who debunked the Top Gear host’s jibe.
“I personally disagree with him,” said F1 expert Nate Saunders on ESPN’s Unlapped podcast. “Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion and he might well be right; Lewis has kind of looked off the pace since that Silverstone win”.
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However, Saunders believes that Hamilton’s jump to Ferrari next season will provide the seven-time champion the impetus to rediscover his form. He adds that Hamilton could be struggling this year as he does not have all the information about the car from Mercedes to succeed.
It is only normal for teams to withhold information in such situations to ensure that any driver who is leaving will not be able to carry useful information to their rivals that in turn, could come back to bite them. While this could be a major reason for Hamilton’s struggles this year, it is pertinent to note he is just two points behind Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Therefore, Hamilton cannot be performing that badly. And Clarkson’s assessment of the situation may just be too harsh.
Hamilton’s struggles with the W15 could have dented his confidence and motivation
Over the course of the 2024 season, Hamilton, on multiple occasions, has raised concerns about the poor handling of Mercedes’ W15. After his struggles in Brazil, he went on record to say that he has given up.
Such remarks from him seem to suggest that he is putting all the blame on Mercedes for his struggles this year and has full trust in his ability to deliver if he has the car underneath him. His move to Ferrari next year can certainly provide him with both the motivation and confidence to give it his all as the Prancing Horse have been on an upward trajectory recently.
By the time Hamilton jumps ship to Ferrari, the legendary Italian outfit could very well welcome him as Constructors’ Champions. After all, they are only 36 points behind leaders McLaren with three race weekends remaining (one sprint race).
