David Coulthard cautious in Lewis Hamilton assessment: "Ferrari should worry, time passes for everyone"

01/28/2025 11:21 AM

Time is ticking: David Coulthard warns Ferrari about the possible “down moments” of Lewis Hamilton in F1. The Scot does not deny the value of the seven-time world champion, but age is a problem for everyone. With little time to adapt to a new environment, #44 will need to prove he is ready from the very first laps. A tough task that should concern Maranello.

In modern Formula 1, age is increasingly playing a marginal role. Drivers race for longer – see Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, or Nico Hulkenberg – but also arrive on the grid at a much younger age. This contrast between fresh eighteen-year-olds, not even licensed drivers (Andrea Kimi Antonelli passed his test this week), and seasoned veterans will become an important theme in the upcoming season.

For now, the veterans of the circus have not disappointed. Experience still holds an inestimable value, especially when combined with pure talent. However, aging is a curse that Mother Nature spares no one. The first symptoms, more psychological than physical, may arise in a sport where the pressure is constantly sky-high, making a loss of concentration a serious risk.

David Coulthard: “There's this thing called Mother Nature, and time passes”
This is how David Coulthard sees it, citing some concentration lapses by Hamilton during 2024 to support his argument: “Lewis is a record-breaking machine, but this isn't a personality contest, it's not a race of opinions, it's a race based on data,” he explained to Channel 4. “And being consistently outperformed by George [Russell]… Great drivers don't have bad cars.”

“He's lost his edge at this stage of his age and in Formula 1. Whether Ferrari is the spark to bring him back remains to be seen, but I'd say it's quite worrying. This doesn't diminish his skill, it doesn't take away from the records, but there's this thing called Mother Nature, and time passes.”

“Mistakes can happen. But not engaging the pit limiter [in the Qatar GP], if that's what he actually did, I think that's more worrying because it's something you do naturally when entering the pit lane. He was already in a bad mental place, seeking answers from his engineer, confused about his slowness. He wasn't happy at all. Let's hope it's not the end for good.”

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