Lewis Hamilton has responded to the remarks made by Toto Wolff regarding his ‘shelf life’ as a now 40-year-old Formula 1 driver.
The seven-time world champion has embarked on a new challenge in his F1 career by joining Ferrari] in 2025, having left Mercedes after 12 years and achieved six Drivers’ world titles.
Hamilton has spent the last two months embedding himself within Ferrari, taking part in tests at Fiorano in their 2023 car in front of thousands of adoring Tifosi fans.
There is a lot of anticipation over whether he will achieve an eighth world title with Ferrari, as Hamilton will be the first F1 driver since Jack Brabham in 1966 to win a championship at 40 years old.
In a recent tell-all book about Mercedes, team principal Toto Wolff remarked that he felt “everyone has a shelf life” when referring to Hamilton being replaced by 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Wolff has since clarified his comments by saying they were taken out of context and added that Hamilton is “very much there when the car is right,” but Hamilton offered a response when speaking to Time.
Lewis Hamilton tells Toto Wolff he ‘can’t compare’ him to another 40-year-old
Hamilton is currently the second-oldest driver on the grid behind 43-year-old Fernando Alonso, having made his debut in 2007 alongside the Spaniard at McLaren.
When Wolff’s comments from the book were put to him, Hamilton offered a response to his former boss: “Don’t ever compare me to anybody else.
“I’m the first and only Black driver that’s ever been in this sport. I’m built different. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve had my own journey.
“You can’t compare me to another 40-year-old, past or present, Formula 1 driver in history. Because they are nothing like me. I’m hungry, driven, don’t have a wife and kids. I’m focused on one thing, and that’s winning. That’s my number one priority.”
How will Lewis Hamilton fare against Charles Leclerc?
Fellow British driver and 2009 world champion Jenson Button was the only driver to outscore Hamilton over their period as teammates, with 672 points to 657 points between 2010 and 2012, so he knows what it takes to beat him.
How Hamilton will fare against Ferrari protege Charles Leclerc is set to be one of the main storylines of 2025, with the Monogasque expected to outclass him in qualifying due to his status as a one-lap specialist.
READ MORE: Seven best drives of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes career before Ferrari move
Button refused to predict how he will cope against the 27-year-old Leclerc, while Leclerc’s old Ferrari engineer Xavi Marcos cautioned Hamilton that he will be tough to beat.
Martin Brundle thinks Leclerc is the fastest driver in F1, however, Hamilton did manage to beat George Russell during their three-year stint at Mercedes on points.
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