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 the direction of the upcoming System 1 season.

As Autosport revealed, his first run in a Ferrari is imminent, because the workforce appears to utilise its TPC [Testing of Previous Car] allocation of 1000km round its Fiorano take a look at observe later this month.

There are, in fact, those that will say that at 40, Hamilton is simply too previous and that he’s misplaced his edge.

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

However within the fashionable 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 should not precisely latest honours both.

Once you search for examples in different sports activities of those that have turn into champions of their 40s, the checklist can be fairly slim.

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

Make no mistake, the percentages are stacked in opposition to Hamilton – however he wouldn’t need it some other method.

Hamilton is motivated most when he feels his again is in opposition to the wall. He has to come back out swinging to battle 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 inspire him extra.

However he additionally has some extent to show.

Toto Wolff’s feedback, which he later clarified, relating to a driver’s shelf-life, ought to be printed out and caught on Hamilton’s bed room door as a every 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 outcome nonetheless rankles with him and it’s a mistaken that he’s decided to proper.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12

Picture by: Erik Junius

He might 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 one of the best alternative.

Primarily based on latest kind, he could be proper, with the Italian workforce 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 alternative, we may 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 may have walked away from F1. Who would have blamed him?

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

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

Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs

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 proper time for him to affix Ferrari is wanting on the different facet of the connection.

Ferrari is way improved beneath Fred Vasseur. Organisational construction appears sound and the famed doomed race technique calls have been not less than fewer in 2024. Extra importantly, the automotive has been consecutively fast for the previous few seasons.

The lacking ingredient has been the dearth 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 frequently, Ferrari too has been missing that impetus. Nonetheless, Hamilton will now convey that to Maranello.

His arrival on the workforce also needs to present a lift to the workforce’s workers, and add motivation to go the additional mile, whereas it is usually prone to have a big constructive influence on his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who wants to seek out an additional gear in terms of race days.

Sure, the percentages are stacked in opposition to him. And at 40, that is doubtless his greatest 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.