Too old? Nonsense, now is the perfect time for Hamilton to join Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton turns 40 tomorrow and as he celebrates one other lap across the solar, his ideas will undoubtedly drift in the direction of the upcoming Method 1 season.

As Autosport revealed, his first run in a Ferrari is imminent, because the workforce seems to be to utilise its TPC [Testing of Previous Car] allocation of 1000km round its Fiorano take a look at monitor later this month.

There are, after all, those that will say that at 40, Hamilton is simply too previous and that he’s misplaced his edge.

Historical past proves this argument. Pioneers equivalent to Juan Manuel Fangio, who was 46 when he received his fifth and remaining title, and Giuseppe Farina, who was 43, are names from the earliest days of F1.

However within the fashionable period, no driver has been topped world champion of their 40s. The closest examples are Nigel Mansell, who was 39, and Alain Prost, at 38. Given these accolades got here in 1992 and 1993 respectively, these aren’t precisely current honours both.

Once you search for examples in different sports activities of those that have turn out to be champions of their 40s, the record can also be fairly slim.

Notable names embrace tennis star Martina Navratilova, who received her final main – the blended doubles on the US Open in 2006 – a month earlier than turning 50, and boxer Bernard Hopkins, who unified the WBA and IBF gentle heavyweight titles in 2014 on the age of 49.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, makes a pit cease

Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures

Make no mistake, the percentages are stacked in opposition to Hamilton – however he wouldn’t need it another manner.

Hamilton is motivated most when he feels his again is in opposition to the wall. He has to come back out swinging to combat again whether or not that be within the type of successful races, titles or altering perceptions and attitudes.

Listening to individuals write off his probabilities of successful titles with Ferrari will solely serve to inspire him extra.

However he additionally has some extent to show.

Toto Wolff’s feedback, which he later clarified, relating to a driver’s shelf-life, ought to be printed out and caught on Hamilton’s bed room door as a day by day reminder.

Keep in mind, it was Hamilton’s determination to chop brief his contract with Mercedes and search a brand new problem with Ferrari, not the opposite manner round. Issues had gone stale at Mercedes, it was time to maneuver on to a brand new problem.

Hamilton additionally has an itch to scratch within the type of a report eighth world title that he was denied in 2021. That end result nonetheless rankles with him and it’s a improper that he’s decided to proper.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12

Photograph by: Erik Junius

He might have felt that after Mercedes failed to provide a automobile that was not persistently fast sufficient over the entire season that Ferrari now supplied him one of the best alternative.

Based mostly on current type, he could be proper, with the Italian workforce popping out of pre-season testing as one of many high two groups and customarily beginning the marketing campaign nicely.

If we need to add weight to the argument that his transfer is the right selection, we might take a look at the earlier instance of when he selected to vary groups; the bombshell announcement following the 2012 Singapore GP that he could be leaving McLaren to affix Mercedes.

The swap appeared illogical on paper. Why would he swap the common winners for struggling Mercedes? However with a victory in his first season with the Silver Arrows and 6 drivers’ titles later, the transfer proved extraordinarily savvy.

The ultimate ingredient is that it’s his determination to remain in F1.

After the fallout from the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, going winless for the longest time in his F1 profession, to not point out his different enterprise pursuits, with new rules looming for 2026, and off the again of the longest-ever F1 season, Hamilton might have walked away from F1. Who would have blamed him?

However the truth he has not solely stayed within the sequence however has additionally taken a brand new problem at this stage of his profession, proves he believes he’s nonetheless adequate to fulfill his sky-high expectations.

Drivers Parade Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Group

Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures

We already know he’s nonetheless fast sufficient to win races, as we noticed on the British GP and the Belgian GP in 2024, in order that counter-proves the opinion that he’s merely not fast sufficient.

The ultimate ingredient as to why that is the right time for him to affix Ferrari is wanting on the different aspect of the connection.

Ferrari is far improved underneath Fred Vasseur. Organisational construction seems to be sound and the famed doomed race technique calls have been at the very least fewer in 2024. Extra importantly, the automobile has been consecutively fast for the previous few seasons.

The lacking ingredient has been the dearth of a world championship-winning mentality. 

In the identical manner that McLaren wanted to re-educate itself on what it takes to problem and win frequently, Ferrari too has been missing that impetus. Nevertheless, Hamilton will now carry that to Maranello.

His arrival on the workforce also needs to present a lift to the workforce’s employees, and add motivation to go the additional mile, whereas it is usually prone to have a major optimistic impression on his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who wants to seek out an additional gear with regards to race days.

Sure, the percentages are stacked in opposition to him. And at 40, that is no doubt his largest problem in his F1 profession, coming with unprecedented ranges of expectation and scrutiny. However that’s why the timing is ideal. It permits him to set a brand new benchmark and redefine the report books.