Heidfeld believes that age is beginning to hinder Lewis Hamilton.

      "Even if some individuals may not appreciate it..."

      Age is evidently impacting Lewis Hamilton’s performance on the track, as noted by former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld. Following a narrow and, in many opinions, unjust defeat to Max Verstappen in the 2021 world championship, Hamilton's results and speed have seen little improvement. The seven-time world champion openly acknowledges that he has not enjoyed the post-2021 ground effect era and also does not look forward to the dramatically different 2026 cars.

      "I personally don’t think it’s heading in the right direction," Hamilton, 40, expressed to Sky Italia. "We’re going slower, and the cars are heavier. While they’ll be lighter next year, they remain the heaviest I’ve ever driven."

      During his challenging period with Mercedes after 2021, Hamilton accomplished enough to secure a lucrative move to Ferrari for this season, but his adjustment has been gradual thus far.

      "I think more is yet to come," Heidfeld, who works with Sky Deutschland, mentioned in Monaco during an infrequent visit to the F1 paddock. "If the car is suitable for him, he can still perform at his peak. We saw that in China. However, he is currently falling behind compared to (Charles) Leclerc, particularly in qualifying," he stated to Sport1.

      The 48-year-old German believes Hamilton has not lost his talent but thinks that the effects of age are starting to show. "Even if some may not want to accept it, he’s no longer the youngest," Heidfeld remarked. "When you compare him to the Hamilton of five or ten years ago, the differences are evident."

      Nonetheless, Heidfeld conveys that Hamilton’s post-40 years do not directly equate to the less impressive closing years of fellow seven-time champion Michael Schumacher's career. "Not exactly," he said. "Michael was absent for several years, while Lewis has continued to race. However, it illustrates that after spending many years in the same environment, transitioning to a new team is challenging. Lewis was seamlessly integrated at Mercedes—now he must acclimate to a new car. And the older one gets, the more difficult it becomes to start anew."

      Hamilton’s move to Maranello came at the expense of Carlos Sainz, whom Heidfeld identifies as the standout surprise of the 2025 season thus far. "I was taken aback that he joined a less competitive team like Williams," he said. "But together, they have significantly improved."