“This is not Lewis at his prime”: A former driver for Red Bull raises doubts about Lewis Hamilton’s ability to summon his former magic.
“This is not Lewis at his prime”: A former driver for Red Bull raises doubts about Lewis Hamilton’s ability to summon his former magic.
When Lewis Hamilton gets a powerful car, will he be able to resurrect the magic of his past self? Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard asked, referring to Hamilton’s current form as a two-year period of underperformance.
For the first time in his career, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has not won a race for two years in a row. Prior to the ground effect era, Hamilton had at least won a race each year he had competed in Formula One. Hamilton has not won a race since 2021, when he last challenged for a championship.
Furthermore, Lewis Hamilton hasn’t even had an opportunity to battle at the top of the grid due to Max Verstappen’s dominance. The driver has had a lot of off weekends this season, despite the fact that he is still operating at a high level. If Hamilton is handed a competitive car, will he be able to return to his best form? David Coulthard questioned. According to Coulthard on Channel 4,
“This is not the Lewis of old.” Lewis has been performing poorly for the past two years, which is really frustrating. It would be fascinating to watch if he can recapture the former Lewis magic once he obtains a winning vehicle.
Lewis Hamilton acknowledges that he occasionally doubts his skills.
Lewis Hamilton discussed how he does occasionally doubt his talents and himself in an incredibly open conversation with The Race. The seven-time World Champion acknowledged pondering questions like “Is it me, or is it the car?”
“In the end, during challenging times such as these, you will inevitably have moments of uncertainty about whether the problem is with the car or with yourself. Are you still in possession of it? Has it vanished? You know, since you’re missing that. It’s amazing when the magic hits and everything fits together—the car, you, and that spark.”
He continued, saying:
And that’s what you’re trying to find. I’m only a human. Anybody who claims they don’t possess such things is living in denial. We’re all just people.
In 2024, Hamilton will be looking for a more advanced vehicle that can compete with Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
