Lewis Hamilton turns 40 tomorrow and as he celebrates another lap around the sun, his thoughts will undoubtedly drift towards the upcoming Formula 1 season.
As Autosport revealed, his first run in a Ferrari is imminent, as the team looks to utilise its TPC [Testing of Previous Car] allocation of 1000km around its Fiorano test track later this month.
There are, of course, those who will say that at 40, Hamilton is too old and that he’s lost his edge.
History proves this argument. Pioneers such as Juan Manuel Fangio, who was 46 when he won his fifth and final title, and Giuseppe Farina, who was 43, are names from the earliest days of F1.
But in the modern era, no driver has been crowned world champion in their 40s. The closest examples are Nigel Mansell, who was 39, and Alain Prost, at 38. Given these accolades came in 1992 and 1993 respectively, these are not exactly recent honours either.
When you look for examples in other sports of those who have become champions in their 40s, the list is also pretty slim.
Notable names include tennis star Martina Navratilova, who won her last major – the mixed doubles at the US Open in 2006 – a month before turning 50, and boxer Bernard Hopkins, who unified the WBA and IBF light heavyweight titles in 2014 at the age of 49.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, makes a pit stop
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Make no mistake, the odds are stacked against Hamilton – but he would not want it any other way.
Hamilton is motivated most when he feels his back is against the wall. He has to come out swinging to fight back whether that be in the form of winning races, titles or changing perceptions and attitudes.
Hearing people write off his chances of winning titles with Ferrari will only serve to motivate him more.
But he also has a point to prove.
Toto Wolff’s comments, which he later clarified, relating to a driver’s shelf-life, should be printed out and stuck on Hamilton’s bedroom door as a daily reminder.
Remember, it was Hamilton’s decision to cut short his contract with Mercedes and seek a new challenge with Ferrari, not the other way around. Things had gone stale at Mercedes, it was time to move on to a new challenge.
Hamilton also has an itch to scratch in the form of a record eighth world title that he was denied in 2021. That result still rankles with him and it is a wrong that he is determined to right.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12
Photo by: Erik Junius
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