Lewis Hamilton has been told to give up on chasing his dream of an eighth Formula 1 world title.
No one in the sport’s history has achieved more on track than the Brit. Hamilton has seven championship successes to his name – a number matched only by Michael Schumacher – and more career race wins than anyone including the German legend.
But he is now 39 and approaching the end of his glittering F1 career. Still, though, Hamilton harbours title ambitions and wants to secure the eighth he narrowly missed out on in 2021 before he hangs up his racing overalls.
Not everyone is convinced he still has what it takes, though. With Red Bull dominating the sport and Mercedes struggling to match their rivals, former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine does not believe Hamilton will be able to fulfil his final F1 ambition.
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“The era of Hamilton and Mercedes’ triumphs is now over, but Lewis is still a very good driver, very focused on his goals and willing to get results,” the four-time F1 race winner told Gazzetta dello Sport. “He is still doing great behind the wheel of an F1 car, even if the comparison with Verstappen is difficult because Max is younger, has a bit more speed and a huge belief in his own ability.
“If Toto Wolff’s team builds another fast car, then Lewis can definitely win one or more races… However, I doubt he will be able to capture the championship again and fulfil his dream of an eighth title.”
Irvine’s belief is backed up by his old F1 rival David Coulthard, who believes Hamilton is no longer “at his prime”. The Scot said: “This is Lewis in a very frustrating two-year state of underperforming. When he gets a winning car again, it’ll be really interesting to see if he can rediscover the old Lewis magic.”
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But Hamilton does still have some supporters of his title ambitions. Former team-mate Jenson Button is adamant the 39-year-old still has enough left in the tank to summit the F1 world again if Mercedes can provide him with the right machinery.
He said: “It’s not going to be easy to beat Max… but Lewis wouldn’t race if he didn’t think he wasn’t good enough. Lewis is definitely good enough to win races and to win a championship – with the right car.
“Coming up against Max is difficult but if Lewis is in a car that suits him and Max is in a car that suits him… I look forward to that fight. Hopefully we will see it before Lewis retires, he’s definitely got the ability to do that.”
