Lewis Hamilton’s unexpected switch from Mercedes to Ferrari became the top headline heading into the 2024 Formula 1 season. The switch comes after Hamilton had won 6 of his 7 world championships with the German team. This historic move begs the question: does Lewis Hamilton have what it takes to win his 8th world championship and defeat Michael Schumacher’s record with Ferrari? It was clear to see from 2022 onwards that he was uncomfortable with the specifications of the new generation of ground-effect Formula 1 cars, but was it Mercedes’ struggles that prevented him from winning another championship, or was Hamilton’s lack of pace a sign of a downward spiral towards retirement as he continues to age into a ghost of his once dominant self.
Unfortunately, I believe it is the latter reason. Hamilton was unequivocally outclassed this past season by his teammate, George Russell, in qualifying, points scored, and race results. The last time Hamilton was defeated by a teammate in results over a season was by Nico Rosberg in 2016 when Rosberg snatched the world championship from Hamilton by 5 points. Since the start of the 2022 season, it has been clear Hamilton is not comfortable with how these modern ground-effect cars handle, and he has also gradually lost confidence in himself as a driver as a result. With this downward spiral, while moving to Ferrari might breathe some life into a defeated and desperate Lewis Hamilton, I don’t believe he will be able to win his longed-for 8th world championship. The Ferarri car may be faster than Hamilton’s former team, Mercedes, but with Hamilton’s consistent descent, it seems unlikely that the Lewis Hamilton of old will shine through in the time he is with Ferrari. I do hope that Hamilton will regain some of his former speed, as someone of his caliber doesn’t deserve to leave the sport he helped to grow on a poor note.