Hill: Lewis needs to stop trying to change Ferrari

      In January this year Lewis Hamilton turned 40, and against the backdrop of the difficulties the seven-time world champion has faced at Ferrari, conversations about the impact of age on his results have inevitably begun.

      Of course, there are other factors – difficulties adapting to a new team, to its culture, to Ferrari's ways of working, to the characteristics of the SF-25 car. All of that combined only exacerbates the situation.

      The last driver to win a Grand Prix when he was already over 40 remains Nigel Mansell: in November 1994 he was the first to cross the finish line in Australia when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill, who were fighting for the title, collided and retired from the race.

      Alain Prost was 39 when he won his last, fourth title in 1993. Fernando Alonso had decent chances of winning in Monaco in 2023 if Aston Martin had not made an error in tyre choice when the rain started. The two-time world champion was then 41 years old.

      At the same time, there were breaks in the careers of Mansell, Prost and Alonso after which they returned to Formula 1: the 1992 world champion went overseas and won the IndyCar title, Prost had to sit out a season, and Alonso in 2019 and 2020 competed in the WEC and even raced the distance of the Dakar supermarathon.

      But Hamilton has competed in Formula 1 without breaks for 19 years now, and each of those seasons involves colossal physical and psychological demands that very few people can withstand.

      “Lewis has been doing this his whole life, from the earliest age – packing his suitcases, travelling, and having to adapt to changing time zones. And when the season consists of 24 races, that’s a very heavy load,” BBC Sport quotes Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, as saying. “Anyone can get tired and start to fade. The question now is whether he will be able to enjoy working with Ferrari?

      He should take a break and stop trying to change this team. They pay him and want him to succeed. Lewis looks to examples like Tom Brady (an NFL legend) and other people who inspire him, who remained competitive for a very long time and whose careers were very long.

      But there comes a point when a person simply runs out of energy. And then you can no longer keep a completely clear mind, and that is absolutely necessary for racing, for being focused on the right results.

      Lewis has always considered himself exceptional – and he is. But the passage of time is one of those factors you cannot avoid. How does age affect drivers? You can compare it to the last day of a holiday: you realise it’s time to go home. You’re still on holiday, but you’re no longer in the mood to relax.

      An athlete knows that the end of his career is near, and that affects your mind. You can’t ignore it. When you start to think that you’re no longer coping, it becomes a heavy burden, especially if you still love your job.

      But when you’re no longer quick enough, it stops being enjoyable. There’s nothing fun about competing in Formula 1 and not winning when victory is expected of you. It’s actually terribly unpleasant. What’s left to do in that situation? Only to hope for a miracle.”