For the second half of the 2024 season, Max Verstappen pushed Red Bull to the finish line to seal his fourth championship title. On the other hand, in the last three years, Lewis Hamilton has looked like a shadow of his former self because of his struggles at Mercedes, albeit leaving a few moments of brilliance.
Verstappen‘s consistent performance has undoubtedly cemented his status as one of the best drivers in history and arguably the best on the grid. However, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has declared the Dutchman superior to Hamilton, even with a ‘mediocre’ car.
“Lewis Hamilton still has the speed, but over a whole season? I have doubts about that. Even if he has a good Ferrari and we only build Max a mediocre Red Bull, I would put my money on Max,” said Marko to Sport Bild.
Marko’s words could come back and haunt him as Red Bull is expected to produce a relatively weaker car this year. Meanwhile, Ferrari is likely to be one of the main title contenders along with McLaren. However, a team’s ability would only be known once the season starts.
Hamilton’s decline in the past two seasons hasn’t been as linear as projected by Marko. The seven-time world champion, on numerous occasions, showed that he can still compete with the younger crop.
Records Lewis Hamilton has broken today:
– most podiums
– most wins
– most wins at one track
– the first driver to win a race after 300 race starts pic.twitter.com/ORB1pJdWLP— Stefanie (@fastpitstop) July 7, 2024
He did lose his proficiency during qualifying recently. But it can’t be precisely known whether he was unable to work with Mercedes’ machinery or was affected by skill deterioration. Ferrari likes to believe it was the former.
Can Hamilton silence the doubters?
There have been reasonable doubts about Hamilton’s abilities compared to the high standards he has set throughout his career. Former teammate Nico Rosberg said after Abu Dhabi in December, “Lewis is just struggling at the moment, and we don’t really know why.”
“So if it’s as of today, then Charles will beat him in the same way as George Russell is beating him,” Rosberg added, though he also called Hamilton “the greatest of all time,” expressing hope for the resurgence of his former rival over time.
Recently, Hamilton spoke about the danger of succumbing to complacency by staying in one place and emphasized the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone to seek glory. He was likely referring to his more than a decade-long spell at Mercedes.
At Ferrari, the reception he has received must have re-energized him. Most importantly, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has been supportive, having known the Brit since his feeder series days. All in all, Ferrari could prove to be yet another brilliant gamble by Hamilton.
