Lewis Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes in 2024 has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride from start to finish.
He’s won races, struggled in qualifying and battled to prove that he still has a magic spark at the age of 39 before he heads to Ferrari.
He hasn’t managed to be quite as good as teammate George Russell this season, especially on Saturdays where he trails 18-5, and next year he faces Charles Leclerc, who is even less forgiving over one lap.
Admitting that he was now ‘slow’ at the Qatar Grand Prix was a worrying sign for his future, especially considering that he managed to pick up two penalties and finish 12th during the race.
Ferrari need to be ‘concerned’ about what they can ‘control’ for Lewis Hamilton
It has been nearly 20 years since the Scuderia last had a seven-time champion in their ranks, just before Michael Schumacher retired for the first time.
There should be excitement that they will have another in 2025, but Hamilton’s recent performances have been concerning.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Naomi Schiff pointed out that Ferrari just needs to focus on what they can control themselves.
“It seems that so quickly we get deterred by a result. But Lewis is publicly saying ‘I’m just not quick anymore’. I think that’s more to do with the fact he’s a little bit man-down at the moment,” she said.
“I believe that if Lewis is given a competitive car and he has something truly to fight for, I do think we’ll see that spark come back. The question is will that be enough and until he’s in that position we won’t know.
“I think Ferrari have just got to be concerned about the things they control. Making sure they provide a car that’s competitive for both of their drivers.”
What evidence is there that Hamilton can rediscover his form?
There’s nothing to indicate that Hamilton can recover from his qualifying slump, as including sprint sessions, he’s 23-6 down to Russell this season.
Leclerc is one of the most talented drivers over one lap in the history of the sport, so getting within a few tenths will be considered a success.
READ MORE: Eddie Jordan tells Ferrari to rip up Lewis Hamilton’s contract and ‘find a way out’ after recent developments
As a seven-time champion, he will want more than that, but he has shown this year that he can still produce the goods on a Sunday.
He would’ve won the Las Vegas Grand Prix if he had qualified further up the grid, and his British Grand Prix victory was the perfect Mercedes goodbye for British fans.
With a dominant car, there’s every chance that he can win an eighth world title, but should he find himself in a bit of a dogfight again, he’ll need some of his Saturday speed back.
Leave feedback about this