Ben Hunt: Too old? Nonsense, now is the perfect time for Hamilton to join Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton turns 40 tomorrow and as he celebrates one other lap across the solar, his ideas will undoubtedly drift in direction of the upcoming Formulation 1 season.

As Autosport revealed, his first run in a Ferrari is imminent, because the crew seems to utilise its TPC [Testing of Previous Car] allocation of 1000km round its Fiorano check monitor later this month.

There are, after all, those that will say that at 40, Hamilton is just too previous and that he’s misplaced his edge.

Historical past proves this argument. Pioneers reminiscent of Juan Manuel Fangio, who was 46 when he gained his fifth and closing title, and Giuseppe Farina, who was 43, are names from the earliest days of F1.

However within the trendy period, no driver has been topped world champion of their 40s. The closest examples are Nigel Mansell, who was 39, and Alain Prost, at 38. Given these accolades got here in 1992 and 1993 respectively, these are usually not precisely current honours both.

If you search for examples in different sports activities of those that have grow to be champions of their 40s, the record can be fairly slim.

Notable names embody tennis star Martina Navratilova, who gained her final main – the combined doubles on the US Open in 2006 – a month earlier than turning 50, and boxer Bernard Hopkins, who unified the WBA and IBF gentle heavyweight titles in 2014 on the age of 49.

Make no mistake, the chances are stacked towards Hamilton – however he wouldn’t need it every other method.

Hamilton is motivated most when he feels his again is towards the wall. He has to return out swinging to struggle again whether or not that be within the type of profitable races, titles or altering perceptions and attitudes.

Listening to folks write off his probabilities of profitable titles with Ferrari will solely serve to encourage him extra.

However he additionally has a degree to show.

Toto Wolff’s feedback, which he later clarified, relating to a driver’s shelf-life, must be printed out and caught on Hamilton’s bed room door as a day by day reminder.

Keep in mind, it was Hamilton’s determination to chop quick his contract with Mercedes and search a brand new problem with Ferrari, not the opposite method round. Issues had gone stale at Mercedes, it was time to maneuver on to a brand new problem.

Hamilton additionally has an itch to scratch within the type of a report eighth world title that he was denied in 2021. That consequence nonetheless rankles with him and it’s a improper that he’s decided to proper.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12

Picture by: Erik Junius

He could have felt that after Mercedes failed to supply a automotive that was not constantly fast sufficient over the entire season that Ferrari now supplied him the very best alternative.

Primarily based on current type, he could be proper, with the Italian crew popping out of pre-season testing as one of many high two groups and usually beginning the marketing campaign effectively.

If we need to add weight to the argument that his transfer is the right selection, we might take a look at the earlier instance of when he selected to vary groups; the bombshell announcement following the 2012 Singapore GP that he could be leaving McLaren to affix Mercedes.

The swap appeared illogical on paper. Why would he swap the common winners for struggling Mercedes? However with a victory in his first season with the Silver Arrows and 6 drivers’ titles later, the transfer proved extraordinarily savvy.

The ultimate aspect is that it’s his determination to remain in F1.

After the fallout from the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, going winless for the longest time in his F1 profession, to not point out his different enterprise pursuits, with new rules looming for 2026, and off the again of the longest-ever F1 season, Hamilton might have walked away from F1. Who would have blamed him?

However the reality he has not solely stayed within the collection however has additionally taken a brand new problem at this stage of his profession, proves he believes he’s nonetheless adequate to fulfill his sky-high expectations.

Drivers Parade Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff

Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos

We already know he’s nonetheless fast sufficient to win races, as we noticed on the British GP and the Belgian GP in 2024, in order that counter-proves the opinion that he’s merely not fast sufficient.

The ultimate aspect as to why that is the right time for him to affix Ferrari is trying on the different aspect of the connection.

Ferrari is far improved beneath Fred Vasseur. Organisational construction seems sound and the famed doomed race technique calls had been no less than fewer in 2024. Extra importantly, the automotive has been consecutively fast for the previous few seasons.

The lacking ingredient has been the shortage of a world championship-winning mentality. 

In the identical method that McLaren wanted to re-educate itself on what it takes to problem and win regularly, Ferrari too has been missing that impetus. Nevertheless, Hamilton will now carry that to Maranello.

His arrival on the crew also needs to present a lift to the crew’s workers, and add motivation to go the additional mile, whereas it’s also prone to have a major optimistic impression on his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who wants to search out an additional gear in the case of race days.

Sure, the chances are stacked towards him. And at 40, that is doubtless his largest problem in his F1 profession, coming with unprecedented ranges of expectation and scrutiny. However that’s why the timing is ideal. It permits him to set a brand new benchmark and redefine the report books.