"There is a thing called Mother Nature, and the clock is ticking": Former Red Bull driver casts doubt on Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari stint
Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari transfer at the age of 40 has drawn mixed reactions from fans and critics. Former F1 driver David Coulthard recently warned the Italian team, saying the British driver is fighting against Mother Nature as the clock is ticking with regards to his age.
Hamilton had a disastrous stint in the 2024 season after his Mercedes teammate George Russell out-qualified him in 19 of the 24 qualifying sessions throughout the year. At one point, the 40-year-old admitted not being fast anymore, a statement that received a lot of flak from analysts.
Though he won two races to end his career-long winless drought, Russell had an upper hand over him for most part of the season.
Meanwhile, as the seven-time world champion prepares for his debut season with Scuderia Ferrari, former McLaren and Red Bull driver David Coulthard has raised concerns over his effectiveness.
Talking to Channel 4, Coulthard said:
“Lewis is a winning machine; he’s broken all the records, but this isn’t a personality contest; it’s not an opinion contest—it’s a data-driven contest. And to be out-qualified consistently by George [Russell]... the greats don’t have bad cars." [via Planet F1]
"He’s gotten out of sorts with this current phase of his age and formula, and whether Ferrari is the kickstart to bring him back or not remains to be seen, but I’d say that’s pretty worrying. Doesn’t detract from his brilliance, doesn’t take away anything from the records, but there is a thing called Mother Nature, and the clock is ticking," he added.
Lewis Hamilton turned 40 in January 2025 and is likely approaching the final stage of his career. However, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is not really worried about the Brit's qualifying woes as he expressed confidence in the Brit's successful stint in Maranello.
Hamilton will make his debut for Ferrari on March 16 at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton to land in Barcelona for important Ferrari test
Lewis Hamilton made his test debut for Ferrari at the Fiorano track on January 22. However, his testing doesn't stop at just 30 laps. According to Racingnews365, the seven-time world champion will likely arrive in Barcelona this week for his second round of testing.
Hamilton and Leclerc are apparently due to test for three days at the Circuit de Catalunya. Since bad weather restricted the first test to limited laps, both Ferrari drivers will hope to push the limit this time around.
The three-day testing is likely to begin on January 28 and go on until January 30. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton will reportedly stay back in Barcelona until the first week of February as he has to feature in a mandatory Pirelli tire test.
The Brit will also return to Italy for Ferrari's official car launch event scheduled for February 19.