Is Lewis past his peak? by Peter Windsor
Vložit
- čas přidán 29. 03. 2024
- Peter responds to a viewer's question in a recent livestream about Lewis Hamilton, 2024-spec. "Do you think Hamilton is past his peak?" asks Hamza Chaudhry. "Also," says Hamza, "you said that in your opinion Alonso is not a great qualifier but he seems to have kept his pace better than Lewis as he's been the better qualifier since 2022." Watch Peter's reply.
With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets:
jetcraft.com
And to pitbox.io. Say goodbye to pitlane guesswork and hello to a new era of precision and efficiency. Pitbox.io provides the tools you need to optimize your performance and maximize your chances of victory:
pitbox.io
Alpinestars:
alpinestars.com
Follow Peter on X and Instagram:
@peterdwindsor
And follow our Short Comers podcast - now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music
We support the Race Against Dementia:
raceagainstdementia.com
#standwithukraine
Nick: you're always with us - Sport
Peter as usual your logic and depth of F1 knowledge always just puts things in perspective!! I’m grateful I have your opinion and insights in these days of F1 noise.
The only ones who could really answer the question are Lewis and his trainers. But, logically, yes - he must be, just like Alonso and Vettel. The next question is how does that place him compared with younger drivers if he's got a competitive car. The Merc doesn't look great so far for 2024, so his switch to Ferrari is going to be really interesting when he's another year older. I'm still not convinced Ferrari have made the right choice - Leclerc and Sainz seemed a perfect line-up with their different styles and both being super-competitive. Almost a dream team?
Respectfully, you need not be convinced.
Ferrari have made the decision for themselves as a racing team. It is not for the feeble minded such as yourself to try to understand.
But soon enough, perhaps you will.
@@jkbzz “respectfully…”
Then, “feeble minded”
Get over yourself
@@claudiomarangone614 😂
That isn't a question Lewis can answer actually
Doesn't seem like drivers actually know.
in their head they are always the best .
It is very clear he isn't at his peak from at least 18-19
Having amazing pace and quali laps is one thing I am talking about racing .
Yet he still went toe to toe with the best driver of the current generation
Some may say one of the best ever.
Most people tend to say 2021 was an amazing season my own opinion was always that it was dull . Sure exciting battle and rivalry but the racing was dull
Part of it was the old reg
But most was Max being over aggressive out of line in this sport sometimes
And Lewis was way too soft like he forgot how to be a racing driver who overtakes and defends in hard situations not just DRS moves .
Two of the best drivers on the grid presented bad racing skills
@@jkbzz Yeah, that's right champ. Lewis will be awesome at Ferrari, right up there with the Piquet to Benneton move. Lewis might even win one or two races if everyone else falls over.
Technically, I suppose both Lewis and Alonso are "past their prime". However, both drivers have the capacity to tap into a level of skill and experience that is so far beyond anyone else on the current grid. Another way of looking at it is that either is capable of amazing performances, provided they feel that a great result is actually achievable. Compare that to Ocon, Russell or Piastri who are at a place in their respective careers that they feel compelled to give 100% all of the time.
well, with lewis we havent seen anything like that for years. Alonso is the complete opposite of lewis as a driver also.. the man doesnt deliver a weak performance ever, also not in weak(er) cars. lewis is a jellyfish frankly compared to alonso
Well put sir! 👏 i think Lewis would be well up for it if that 25 Fezza is even better than this season..
@@dco1019thats why alonso only has two championships and lewis 7. Alonso gets outraced by stoll on occations so dont act like he only perfect weekends you clown🤡🤡🤡🤡
@@dco1019 Bro just as recent as COTA 2023 we seen what Lewis can do once he's on it. Don't know what you are talking about haven't seen anything like that for years.
Ocon peaked in Hungary when he won there and Russel and Piastri have talent wise the capability of winning boatloads of races just like Hamilton and Alonso as they have proven by winning races since the start of the 2022 season. I agree the latter two have to give 100% every time but that’s a good thing, and it’s logical as they are just starting their careers for teams that actually make good cars.
Why are you always making weird excuses for Lewis? He's expected to try 100% no matter the car because he's one of the highest paid drivers on the grid, and if he's not going to be trying 100%, then what is he getting paid all that money for? And yet again, God forbid a single live stream goes by without AD21 being mentioned. As if it were the only thing that happened that year that led to Max becoming champion.
This next level immaturity or naivety, to think that someone of his stature and experience will be as driven as a Russell who has yet tonstart on his winning journey. You are so funny. How many world champion retire as opposed to being let go compared to those who have never won anything? To think that everyone is the same and has the same motivation, is as naive and as immature as it can be.
Cant even get the wisdom that Peter is trying to share, you just want to hate.
As if that going to change the fact that just last season Lewis wipped the floor GR even tho GR Beat him at the first 3 races, just like Rosberg did during LH prime. But hey, hater are going to hate, GR can keep binning that Merc like there is no tomorrow, no LH hater is going to mind that, or question whether GR who has everything to prove is past his prime. Had it been LH any point last I wonder what people like you would have said.
On top of that pretending that AD21 is business as usual when the governing body admitted itself to an actual error during the race, is just pathetic, the truth hurts when you are in the wrong side I suppose.
Do you even have an idea of what it takes to win a race, let alone a championship? to have it taken away because someone made a mistake, that was blatant enough and that could have been corrected but they chose not to?
You are just too funny. Hower hate is not good for yiur health. You know Peter stance on the truth, so dont comeback here if you expect him to lie or make up stories to get your custom, he will do well without you, thats for sure. Fans of quality well thought out ideas will stay and support him.
Is he really supposed to drive 100%? It’s very, very rare in a race that any driver drives at 100% for the whole race. They are often driving within the limitations of the car, to manage tyres, fuel load, brakes, and even need to manage the engine over the course of a season.
If the car is an absolute dog, I wouldn’t blame any driver for experimenting with set-ups to see if they can find out some set-up that they wouldn’t otherwise have found out. It’s not always about maximising every corner of every lap of every race.
@@MSLS83 Next level of blind fandom and naivety. To think that you're going to pay someone huge money to NOT try his best. As if Peter or literally ANYONE doesn't have his biases. As if I'm invalidating what Hamilton has achieved. That, in your deluded eyes, makes it OK for Hamilton to just sit back and not give 100%, to not be worth the massive amount he's being paid. If he's going to be outperformed by his teamate 2 out of the 3 seasons they've been together, why is he worth the money again? Past glories don't drive the car TODAY. He needs to be the legend you clearly believe he is and do better. The end.
First off, you think he came 3rd last year without trying? Secondly, you can’t drive on the limit if you can’t feel the car under you. No one knows what that Mercedes feels like until 2024. Right now he can sense the car much better, but he doesn’t push it to the same degree as George because it is not worth crashing. Right now they still need to work on figuring out the car, and once it is closer to being optimized, he will push, and you will see. Or you won’t because you’re clearly biased. He’s not doing any favors to himself by sounding whiny over the team radio but that’s how he’s always been.
@@ianh3365these idiots have never competed at the top. They know nothing about conserving mental energy. They don’t seem to realize that if you give 100% and still come 7th or 8th, it destroys your confidence. They’re talking out of their ass. He gets the money for his racing pedigree, and because he was considered the second best driver last year.
Motorsport it's a sport that not only relies on Driving skills, as physical condition, especially time reaction. Once age affects reflexes, as the hunger for results starts to settle, so the performance on track. There're exceptions as Alonso, but it's the natural path.
Alonso is up against Stroll, so it's more difficult to tell with him.
@@Podemeister He is a double F1 Champion, and still mighty fighting for a P10 in the middle of the pack. Other F1 Champions would be far too demotivated with that.
Another exception is Lewis Hamilton!!
Vettel was also against Stroll and they were pretty equal@@Podemeister
I think Alonso makes more mistakes during qualifying because he's pushing his car past 100%.
Pushing the car past 100% is a bad thing. The best qualifiers get 100% out of the car and themselves.
Max to is pushing 100% in qualifying...but he doesnt do mistakes ...thats why is one of the best out there
he's performing way better than hamilton. That's for sure.
@@alexcepile1420 is he? Alonso got out qualified by stroll in the same car
@@ddha0000 1 out of 20?
C'mon don't be extremely biased and shallow.
Answer to the question YES.
I agree 100% on Lewis being past his prime. And in my mind, that makes Ferrari's decision to sign him over Sainz very stupid.
The signing of Lewis has more to it than current skill. Or skill available in 3 years, for example. Lewis brings dollars, he brings a championship mindset and pedigree only seen once in the sport before him. Will Ferrari get many great years of talent from him? Not really. Theyll squeeze what's left, and from such a high caliber driver that's not nothing. An all time great, even less than his prime could still win races or a championship in the right situation.
I'm not even a huge Lewis fan tbh, but to shrug him off as just done kind of misses the point. Hes probably not at his best. But that's still better than other drivers anyway, plus all the other obvious reasons a team would want all that comes with signing a Hamilton. I think realistically Ferrari can get 3 of the best years he has left. Not quite his prime but still champion level stuff. Optimistically 5, but even then perhaps he starts to drop off in a way that's actually noticeable. Either way, I'd say Alonso and other aging athletes are proof that you can be 40 plus and succeed highly at an elite level.
The reality is there is zero way really to tell. The only valid data point is 2021 where he was clearly at least at the same level as Max (can argue if slightly higher as the Merc was slower for maybe 2/3 of that season). Is 2022-24 a drop off in talent or just an indicator that Lewis is just not caring to get most out of a bad car vs. trying hail Mary's to get that mythical competitive performance out of the car. At this point it is just speculation as the car 22-24 is SO much worse than '21. But Lewis vs. Sainz is an any day no-brainer even if it is just gambling that not much real slip since 2021 in Lewis intrinsic skill. Sainz is a very solid number 2. Maybe even close to being a Rosberg if he were in a Redbull. Perez is not even a Bottas.
Only signed him for the money he brings. Never win a title for Ferrari
I just love how these BS narratives always seems to pop up after a few bad races from Lewis. But as soon as he starts putting in those performances people tend to play a blind eye or play it down. He was the most competitive at COTA 2023 and look how he outperformed Russel in the second half of the season(Races like Singapore, Japan) you were all quiet back then. But a guy like K-Mag and Danny Ric who have been outpaced by their teammates from all the way last year don't, yet no one wants to talk about them being way past their prime. Your a fool if you think Sainz will ever extract more from Ferrari than Hamilton. Lewis is the only one that made RedBull legitimately scratched their heads last year whenever he had a decent car all while he was in the 4th fastest car last year.
He was 3rd lasted year Russell only 8th.
Race pace wise he's in his prime but quali hes not.
the last 2 years hes had a car against his style, he said the only
time he felt the rear in the last 2 years was Austin 23. equivalent of Charles
or Max having an extreme understeerey car (zero front end)
And we saw what he did in austin😏
In Bahrein after a free practice he also said that the W15 feels like a proper racecar but some sessions later it was the worst thing he's ever driven.
Think it's save to say that anything said should be taken with a grain of salt.
@benzoswonzo8491 -
Good comment !!
I was listening to Gary Anderson a couple of days ago and he commented on the nature of the Mercedes being too sensitive how at one of the practice sessions Lewis had stated how good the car felt (Ithink he may have been top of the timing sheets only for the car to feel completely different due to change in wind direction and ambient temperature. Anderson stated that if it so sensitive it is understandable that a car will then not provide the predictable cues to allow the driver to perform as they are capable of doing so.@@likilikiki
@@robertanderson9584 Think it's more sensitive to changes in ride height if anything.
Even Stevie Wonder can see that if they set it up extremely low it's reasonably quick.
Hence the excessive sparking you see from their cars in free practices, and the porpoising which appears to be back.
But as soon as they raise it for the race set-up they're losing alot of pace.
That was a pretty matter of fact response (much less sensationalism than these types of questions can generate - I haven't read any of the comments) and thought provoking. First thing that came to my mind was Lauda's championship in 1984, though I wouldn't have watched every race back then and can't recall the details of that season. I may spend some time reviewing that season.
Lewis ain't just past his peak but he has never been as great as Senna, Schumi and now Max is. Yeah he got 7 world titles but where are his seasons of 12 , 15, 19 wins while driving a rocket ship compared to the rest of the field? Senna could do it, Schumi did it for 1 season and Max is doing it for 3 seasons in a row and season 4 just started. In the 38 years I'm watching and folliwing F1 I have never ever seen a driver as skilled as Max Verstappen. This lad is something special.
Thats because his team also made mistakes and unlike max he he had competition. Max his opponents are only perez and ferrari all of em with 0 championships. And the only season where he could have gotten 14-15 wins was in 2020 but he got covid. Nothing against max but he has only driven newey cars and has no competition since mid 22.
@@matejpri Period
Yeah, he has 7 world titles under his belt. Credit where credit is due really.
@@matejpri 😂😂😂 lol … Lewis had 3 challenges in his career .. Beat Rosberg 2016 FAILED Beat Max 2021 FAILED Beat newbie Russell 2022 FAILED 😂😂😂
@@stableianF1oracle this is such a new DTS fan way of looking at an 18 year career. Some people just don't know sports I guess
He's going through his Vettel arc. Midfield car, crashing into others while trying to pass, blowing chicanes rather than wheel to wheel, no motivation.
This part.
and losing to his younger teammate - Leclerc is going to kill him next season
Being behind Stroll in the championship
@@LazeeAnomalee😂😂😂🤡
Lewis was literally P3 just last year with Russell lost in p8😂 wtf are you lot on about
Now that I have listened, what difference does it make? In the early 80s, Alain Prost almost routinely got pole positions. In the late 80s, not so much, but he still won two championships in 1989 and 1993 against Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and the emerging Michael Schumacher!! I would say there are 2 drivers Max Verstappen would have the most difficult time beating right now if they had competitive cars are Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton!!
He already beat Lewis in 2021 with a lesser car while their level of driving diverged.
100% agree. It’s obvious Hamilton has lost some of his raw qualifying pace sure but his strength to deliver over a championship (3rd in 2023s WDC) is undiminished. Many seem desperate to write him off for whatever reason despite him still demonstrating his ability to be competitive.
@@wreagfethe RB and the Mercedes were very close in 2021, that is evidenced by the fact that the Merc and RB number 2 drivers were also close in the championship standings at the time.
What is the source of this idea that the Mercedes was clearly the dominant car of 2021? It was pretty close.
Adrian Newey at the end of the year in a press conference on sky sports said “Rb had the better car on average for the season.”@@wreagfe This means max almost lost in a better car.
@@scroopynooperz9051
The cars may have been somewhat close, but Max won in the lesser car, with terrible luck. People cry about a handful of points at Abu Dhabi, forgetting about everything that went wrong for him earlier. If you were to take away his bad luck and give the points back to Lewis, Max would have been WDC two or three races prior to What ended up being the decider.
If you need more evidence, Lewis had a car for many years, with which he should have been as dominant as Max was last year, but he was never that good.
I think it’s the new crop of drivers are more suited to the current f1 cars, Lewis might find a new motivation and drive when he switches to Ferrari, but I can’t see him bettering Charles, I think Ferrari made a mistake in signing Lewis, but I certainly hope he proves me wrong because he absolutely deserves an 8th championship.
If Sainz can better Charles then so can Hamilton, no problem. Leclerc is massively overrated.
Sainz is bettering Charles.
lol and Russell is destroying Lewis in the same car. 😂😂😂😂
@@mouseinthehouse_ you’re underestimating Sainz, let’s see next year. It will be interesting to watch
@@stableianF1oracle 🤡 No. George is not. And when racing was really on in first 3rd to half of 2022 it was always clear that Charles had Sainz covered.
Leclerc will comprehensively out-drive him and he’ll retire after one or two seasons.
Thanks for answering. Just as a bit of justification for what I said, whilst I acknowledge that you always have the caveat of drivers being in different cars, I do think if you look at their consistency, Alonso has been far more consistent in qualifying. Last season he only missed Q3 twice, when the Aston Martin was far off the pace. And he ended up the season with the joint-most Q3 appearances, alongside Max and Charles in much better cars. This contradicts your statement about him making more mistakes and although he did make a mistake in the most recent qualifying in Australia, I would still say he's not very error-prone in qualifying. On the other hand Lewis hasn't reached Q3 on a number of occasions, three times out of the last five races. And his first front row qualifying after 2021 was all the way in Hungary 2023, whereas Alonso got a front row in an Alpine in Canada 2022.
Your problem is that you are using facts and data to discuss something with Peter that is an emotional issue.
@@wreagfe
You go from video to video hating on a certain driver.
Remind me who’s the emotional one again?
Yes the same Alonso with 0 poles last year
@@Grand_inquisiteur
How shameful, because, you know, the AM is clearly up there with the Mercedes, just ask Stroll! 😂
@@W0lf_91
Notice how you commented on the hater, but not the original comment? Did the original comment contain too many facts for you?
Yes.
Obviously we don’t know what happened behind the closed door after AD21 but it does appear as if Mercedes gave up a little too much a little too easily. How could anyone expect him to perform at maximum level after that, especially as Peter said with George as his new teammate.
Hopefully Ferrari breathes new life into the lad. If nothing else I think him and Charles will have some great battles, even if they aren’t directly competing against Red Bull. Anyway, Carry on
You're literally repeating what PW said verbatim.. weird
So Lewis can only drive a winning car AND a less competitive teammate. Wonderfull.
Champions have drive, always. Alonso in an AM, drives as hungry at the end of his career, as a junior gifted their first break in F1. That is a champion.
@@Loudebosshe’s not, please go to bed with this ridiculous hyperbole
@@dotconnector3889pretty sure this hunger disappeared on the tail end of 2023 when their car was sucking…you’re fanboying a bit too hard to see reality. Also get out of a Lewis Hamilton video if you really want to discuss Alonso continuously.
great answer!
As drivers age they pass their physical peak, but continue to grow in terms of skill, racecraft and mental strength. So its very difficult to draw a line on exactly when a driver is at their absolute pinnacle of performance..... But yes its fair to say that Lewis and Fernando are both past their best, and Max has yet to reach his.
Why wouldnt Lewis try to get the maximum out of the car? It makes no sense at all. If he wouldnt want to do that he should just retire. In that sense, Alonso is a way more complete driver, having shown a fast and competitive pace in a lot of different cars. And always with a fighting mentality. Lewis is more like Vettel, only able to drive a car with a certain set of characteristics. If he has that, he definetly one of the best drivers out there. If he has not, he is pretty mediocre by F1 standards.
Lewis will give 100 % anytime, anywhere. This is who he is and that is why we love him so much . I do belive that the hammer times ar not over. If the car is good Lewis will deliver. What happen in 2021 in the last race is a big shame in Formula1. Anyone in Lewis s shoes would gave up , it is very hard to get over that event. But he did get over and I hope in a better car he will be a winner once again , nomatter what car it is , silver or red , really it doesn t matter so much. Remember Lewis ...never alone !
Mistakes that he never used to make started subtly in 2020. 2021 showed it slightly more. It’s less evident with his current car for comparison sakes. I would say his absolute peak was 2018-2019. That’s when he was completely switched on.
thats also when he didn’t need to push nearly as hard.
Mistakes are only seen depending on the car give max a terrible car he will look like he makes mistakes give Charles a good car he will be godly. Mistakes will be there when extracting performance. Fernando doesn’t do them since the last time he even had a car was 2012
He makes mistakes when he has to actually push, he’s been cruising in good cars for a while.
@@alexcslim4362 Lewis had the best car in 2020. That’s when you could tell he wasn’t quite as sharp as he had been in previous years. My point with his current car is that it’s tough to compare his ability to push it to the razors edge because of its lack of handling. How far he has continued to decline since 21’ is tough to say but as Peter has stated, he’s past his prime. To what degree is the question.
Not in his peak but still better than when he won his 1st WDC
Great point. Hunger for success. That final 1% that separates the winners from the also rans in motor sport. You can look at the careers of any of the recent greats. Schumacher, Alonso, Hamilton and even Vettel. And you can pin point when they were hungry for success and when that stopped becoming their focus. Alonso might be the one driver who retained most of his internal drive, probably fueled by a few seasons of real disappointment after his early success.
In order to be considered one of the greats you have to shine in difficult to drive cars.
OK, who would you put there as an all-time great and which difficult to drive cars SPECIFICALLY please?
The greats took an inferior car to victories into a title fight. winning or losing it. That's what makes them greats.
You just described his entire career at mclaren@@DenUitvreter
@@sauldulaAgainst Kovalainen or being beaten by Button? 5 of his WDC's were against hastily found replacement drivers, Rosberg was his only serious teammate and didn't do as well as predicted by far, only 2-1.
McLaren was the absolute top team, RBR just a new kid on the block. He didn't get near the maximum out of that car.
@@DenUitvreter Are you one f those people who only count total points over 3 seasons when it comes to Hamilton? Puts the rest of your comments in context.
Hey Peter, the algorithm knocked your channel off my list. Very happy to have found it again and nice job on new visuals. Williams blue a nice throwback to your heritage!
The thumbnail picture says it all. He thinks he's sone kind of black gangster.
Shamilton.
That's all you got from that? lolol well he's a rich one.
Peter. What happened about Alonso’s so called break problems after the incident with Russell.
Obvious troll lie knowing he was going to be investigated by the British Mafia.
Apparently the FIA are investigating a sneeze Alonso did half way across the world on the day Russell was born, as they may have evidence it was that sneeze, and not Russell's father stealing his nose, that caused him to cry.
Fair comments
We can expect it, Peter, because he is still PAID to be as fast as he ever was.
No he actually isn't that isn't even possible. He is paid to be the racing driver he currently is not the one he was in 2014 or 07.
A driver like Lewis is paid to win races and championship
But if the team can't provide him with a machine that can do it that equation is broken, at least that is the very clear way they do things in mercedes as you can see with Toto.
Lewis is paid for being Lewis an 8 time world champion a legend in the sport, that means a lot
Ferrari didn't "Need" Lewis as a driver
They wanted "Lewis" for the package.
@@eden5260 Exactly someone needs to tell a lot of these other fans that if you have a competitive cars and want to win championships Lewis is the far better choice than Sainz. I cant see how people even question if the move made sense when it clearly does. Yet they are the same people who beg for a very underperforming Danny Ric to be back in the RB seat just for smiles.
I remember when Niki Lauda came back to F1 at an unheard of rate at the time of about $3 million, and got swept two years in a row by John Watson. No one talks about that when they mention Lauda as being one of the greats (which he was, of course). He wasn't paid to lose to Watson but when it came to dropping one of them, it was Watson who was. Then, when given a car truly capable of winning the WDC, it was Lauda who beat Prost. In total, Lauda made about 3x more than the next driver at the time and lost three out of four years to his teammates. No one complained and still no one cares.
Meanwhile, last year Hamilton almost singlehandedly secured second in the WCC for Mercedes with no help from, and practically in spite of, Russell (who still hasn't met a final lap that he liked).
Besides, if a team wants to pay a driver what they do, it's their money. What do you care? To that end, maybe I help pay for your salary in a way; who do you work for and how much? I'd like to judge your performance instead of leaving it to your boss.
@@eden5260 Learn to count salty man.
@@wreagfe I am not a man I'm a woman and I am sweet not salt
Kids today not only have no brain they also embarrass themselves out in the open instead of in their room like we used to
Yes i think so
Thanks Peter Windsor . 💯
If you have to ask...
Give him a historically dominant car and a teammate like Bottas and I'm sure Hamilton can win again.
when age starts creeping up on drivers (well all of us really ) it's not only reflexes affected but how fast our brains can process info being received . This will introduce a small delay to the response that a racing driver cannot afford at speed .
Yep!
100%
Yes he has , years ago , and he was only good because he had the advantage of having the fastest car in the line up
Chronology yes. The right car can make
Up the difference but saying that can also flatter
a younger driver to be better to make up for a little less talent.
I totally agree
They say your reaction time peaks at around 25 years old. There must be a point where the compensating experience crosses over with reaction and you start declining... has he passed that point? Quite likely.... but so high was his oeak that just because he is no longer at his peak it doesnt mean he doesnt still have a lot to offer.
I will comeback here to nextyear same time to have a say...
Athletes primes are being lengthened in this era of modern sports medicine. We see how recovery is just so improved, down to a science, with athletes having their own staff for nutrition, physio, mental, etc. We saw Sainz just take half or a third the time any regulat citizen would need to heal bc of better access to physicians, state of the art facilities, etc.
What we see with Alonso now is proof just in F1 alone that a guy can be past his prime yet, idk, arguably hes just as good. Everyone defers to that its not possible, but you cant really prove that definitively especially when the dude was taking podiums last yr in a Stroll Mobile. I just think the jury is still out on this discussion of an athlete's prime. Its way different now than even 10 years ago. The longevity in many sports we see now is beyond anything we've seen before. So even if these older guys are fading theyre not fading fast. Or perhaps its such a small amount in comparison to the experiential mastery that the difference is basically negligible. Obbiously cant go on like that forever. Theres a tipping point, but when it is nobody knows exactly. Its different person to person. As great as Lewis is, he might not last as long as Alonso has, for example. Perhaps his physicality deteriorates quicker. I imagine things like that are more genetics at a certain point, but modern sports medicine is whats allowing guys to maximize, even lengthen their window.
Id also like to point out somebody's "prime" is a completely nebulous term with no objective measure. You could argue a prime is like one year, or maybe just one race or one best performance. If Max wins less races this year or has a mistake or two, is he no longer in his prime? Is he somehoe worse? I know im stretching it a bit but it just goes to show how you can bend these terms to suit whatever point you choose to make bc "prime" is a manmade concept. Its not tangibly real, or at least in any way that actually matters bc no one identifies what time frame we're talking about.
Absolutely - To the video title
Perfect explanation, sir Peter!! Thanks a lot!!
Peter I really think you are great and deliver great analysis, but please stop mentioning AD21 at every opportunity.
Is Alonso the only current F1 driver who was also Karting World Champ??
Father time always wins
You totally gloss over Peter's main points. Did you not here him say that with a strong Ferrari he would be as quick as he ever was? You have the tone of a typical hater.
Yes
Let's wait and see. That's a reliable statement at the moment. When he's done and retires, then this question can be answered evaluating his results.
We've seen it b4, older drivers do loose their edge
I would say Alonso has been more consistent than Lewis in qualifying. He made it into Q3 more times than Lewis did in 2023 despite having a car which fluctuated from weekend to weekend far more than the mercedes.
Alonso didn't extracted the best from the Aston at the beginning of the year over a lap
@@quentinhirschfeld9382 Perhaps the first race in Bahrain, aside from that he put in some really good laps, Jeddah, he was only outqualified by a Redbull, and Leclerc and in Miami he got second with used tyres. In Baku his DRS failed but he still finished p4 in the race.
Agree
Came here for the mandatory AD21 , was not disappointed 👍
I feel some of you dont realise the magnitude of what happened that day, regardless of whom It affected, as long as this generation including Max is racing, people will never stop talking about it. Just get used to it.
@@MSLS83 exactly, it's quite literally the biggest disaster in the history of the sport. To have a WDC decided by a made up rule.
If you're finding yourself asking the question, the answer, inevitably, is going to be yes.
Lewis has struggled to beat other drivers consistently throughout his career.
He got the same amount of points as Alonso throughout his time as teammates together. Button beat him on points while being teammates.
Then Kovalainen, he aced Kovalainen and was clearly better.
Rosberg beat him over a season. Then Mercedes intervened and made a clear first and second driver by signing Bottas and calling him back when Bottas threatened Lewis.
First year Mercedes signed a competitive teammate Russell beats Lewis straight away.
Lewis drove for teams with cars that normally made him World Champion whenever he beat his teammates.
These are the facts, Lewis is very beatable as a teammate. Lewis struggling is nothing new. Lewis doesn’t become a better driver if Ferrari signs Bottas and Lewis wins more championships with Bottas next to him.
Lewis is not over his peak, didn’t become less of a driver. What we’re looking at is simply Lewis. Now in cars that won’t make him a champion or second in the championship. Indeed, suddenly not so special.
Kovalainen is the only opponent Lewis destroyed. Impressive? Not to me.
100%. Leclerc is gonna destroy him.
Of course he is!
I don't mean to be a fan boy but what do you mean Lewis can't push the car past its limit like George does? When has George pushed the car pass its limits?
Most people who comment Lewis is done honestly dont know F1 well enough to understand the nuances of your analysis. They want him to be done because they dread what could happen if he does get a car that is even close to max. Its unreal how people think a car that drives fast equals championship.
Right. That's what keeps Max up at night...SMH!!
@@kjay5056 I never said that
@jeanmakita3839 -
Thank you !! One of the very few intelligent and informed comments that I have read so far in this thread.
He already lost from a younger/less-developed Max in 2021 in a better car.
@@wreagfe
We all know the Merc was a categorically worse car in ‘21 than the Redbull.
Pace is what always made Hamilton a standout driver. His qualifying record at McLaren was exceptional both in comparison to his teammates but also in comparison to Red Bull and Ferrari who mostly had quicker cars than him during this period. He had the ability to constantly push and outperform the car. He can no longer do this
He doesn’t really need to, though. Mercedes aren’t going to win the championship and will be lucky to win a race. I suppose if Lew was similar age to George et al, and was still trying to prove himself then he would have an absolute obligation to hang it out on the ragged edge.
I find the Alonso comparisons misleading: Fernando has no ambitions beyond just enjoying himself (I’ve never heard him express any desire for another title) and he has Lance for a teammate.
@@Karma2Babylon There isn't a driver in the history of the sport that doesn't want to beat their teammate. The idea that Hamilton isn't really trying isn't an excuse
@@ingrogies1 didn’t say it was an excuse. This season isn’t the first time Lew has been behind his teammate on points at this stage of a season. Pretty sure I’ve seen him chase and close huge points gaps to teammates before.
But to put things in a wider perspective: he’s old, the car is shit and he’s leaving. Doesn’t matter how many times George outqualify him, those facts remain
@Karma2Babylon So... You agree that Hamilton is past his best?
@@ingrogies1 absolutely. But Lew past his best is still capable of dragging the w14 to nearly 2nd place in 2023. I think it’s premature to say he’s not capable anymore in less than 6mths without considering the other factors in play, too. I can’t pretend to know what’s in his mind but it’s got to be pretty demoralising to know there’s another 21 races to get out of bed for knowing that 1- you’re leaving so is unlikely to want to strive to make the w15 better when you’re likely to be competing against the 16 in 2025.
2- the RB20 is so far ahead there’s only likely to be a 3rd place to fight for.
3- the talent exodus at Mercedes is hardly likely to improve anyone’s motivation,
and 4- Toto repeating the same shite as before, and before that to anyone who’ll listen is not likely to inspire the risk for an extra millimetre against the Jeddah walls knowing it’s not gonna change much.
When Ham was winning in his MBenz you said it was not the car or team or engine? Now suddenly it’s the car and the team? He is past his prime and any half decent driver would have won in that car, as Nico demonstrated!
Mercedes can kiss their horse's butt for still having Lewis Hamilton putting up with the frustrations, certainly equal, if not greater than many before.
He's a human being as well. And owes Mercedes no more. Let's be fair. For goodness' sake.
I do now believe Lewis is well past his peak! Lewis getting beaten by gorerge regularly now! Lewis used to have the skill to drive around a cars problems! And even if his skill is still there he has lost his hunger and drive and enthusiasm which is important
Isn't lewis still testing the car for mercedes
Yes like in the first part of 23' season, and he doesnt get plaudits for it, just negativity.
He could have just taken a year off but he is there trying to help. No man of that dominance would do the same, after Mercedes denied him that ambassadorship... I wouldnt!
even if he is.. hes gonna start Q and race with the best setup they've found. (which is either george his setup or something they cooked up at the factory or even one of those experiments going well)
too much emphasis and excuses come from lewis testing setups.. its clearly something he wants.. he wants to test setups to find the hidden gem of a setup.. hes hardly helping the team out...its purely egotistical cause 9 out of 10 of his experiments are dead ends and then he takes george his setup who been putting in work..
@@alimantado373 meh Lewis's his setup experiments are likely only hurting the team. He's chasing a magic bullet while George is doing real work. It feels more ego-driven than anything else at this point...
@@alimantado373 😂😂😂😂 Lewis testing the car still.. Lucky Lewis still has 20 years of racing ahead of him to spend years doing testing 😂😂😂 How gullible are Lewis fans
@@alimantado373 The only thing Lewis is testing is Totos patience as George thrashes him every race. 😂
I see this differently. I think there's some inheritant quality of the way this generation of cars generate their grip that isn't really suiting him. I think he's in a bit of a mental spiral feeling ever more detached from the car. In a similar way to Danny Ric. He's just in a somewhat faster car. I think George has come into this era with fewer preconceptions about how a good ground effect platform should feel.
I don't think it's a question of commitment because you still see him late into the night with the engineers going over setup data and so on. Perhaps he's over complicating it in his mind.
I do think he's capable of bouncing back. However, there's no guarantee he's going to feel more in control at Ferrari. He's definitely not on form at the minute. He was driving a bit better even last season and he still seemed a bit off his best but he was still punchy.
I think he expected more over the winter and it's taken the wind right out of his sails. They're swearing the cars better on paper but he's just "feeling" that under his butt. He needs to know exactly where the rear is gonna go and at the moment he hasn't got a clue.
Brilliant response. ALO fans always looking for holes
Leclerc gonna eat him up at Ferrari lol he doesn't stand a chance
I'm watching f1 for 22 years now. And watched Hamilton coming in F1 and winning 7 titles. Hamilton is a goal driven person. He needs to be motivated. Motivation is what drives him to do his best. This year and for the past 2 years he's unmotivated. Lost faith in his team and the motivation to push for more. He needs a car that is planted to the ground and be able to control it with micro management. Mercedes probably promised him a car but didn't deliver. So he saw that this is going anywhere and made the jump to Ferrari. That jump is his motivation. He is probably past his peak but with the right atmosphere and motivation he can bounce back and deliver.
Well he whines about how fast the RB cars are, but he forgets when they had 100hp more than everyone else during his lucky years.
Was never a fan ...but always have respect for Louie
Peter what you just said was that MB should do a post cut in him for not pushing to the limit due to his experience n tenure in the sport.
They get paid to perform and push to the limit, well paid
Engineers are also paid well to make a good car………….
I was never a Lewis fan from day 1 (I'm 53) but I feel he will be rejuvenated by the Ferrari deal ❤
For about 3 races at best. Never had any consistency, not even in 8 years with a dominant merc car.
@@bjrnchrstn Except for consistently winning 7 world championships and most all time race wins...
@@450aviatorhow many years ago?
He had the best car and still lost how many during his time?
@@450aviator Locked-in engine advantages are different from aero advantages. The latter can be mitigated by "just try harder, and be better", the former trumps any aero and driver improvements until the next regulation era. As we have observed.
I think he will be demolished by Leclerc.
01:24 Really? I would be surprised if he complained against George. 🤔
Mr facediaper has had a very lucky career. 7 titles is a yoke
Lewis is getting paid 40m to drive below the limit because “why even bother?” No wonder Mercedes is getting rid of him
If Hamilton is past his peak …what we saying about alonso??
So you didn't watch it then..
No pain for Hamilton in 2021 as the best driver of that year won the championship.
That "best driver" loses without Checo and Masi at Abu Dhabi but go off.
The question is "is Russell better than Charles?"
All those saying he needs a rocket ship to win races or can only win in a stable car… F1 was before 2014
Probably he's slightly past his peak, but his peak is higher than 90% of drivers so he's still among the best of the current field. Great drivers tend to fade slowly as well. Alonso likely peaked at Ferrari but he's still able to outdrive most drivers.
People forget that Rosberg outperformed Schumacher during their time at Mercedes, Schumacher was likely past his prime.
I do not think Lewis will dominate Leclerc
Good point Lewis and MSC are at similar stages(F1 career-wise.) If MSC had nothing to prove then surely the same expectations should be placed on Lewis however I know this won’t be the case. Leclerc will be Hamilton’s toughest teammate
So Lewis only drives well when he is in a winning car. Right, good to know.
Thanks Peter. I agree!✅❤️🙏🏽
Lewis isn't passed his peak, He's just no longer in the best car, which he has been in more than any other driver in the modern history in F1.
That’s quite a spoiled attitude, that of Hamilton, if you’re correct.
He’s there to maximise the results with what he has - not to cruise to easy wins with far superior machinery
No Sir,,,,would you give Lewis's seat to Hulkenberg?
Indeed he is. Bad bad mistake by Ferrari..
I agree with this. Just gotta hope that the ferrari is up to standard next season
Please please use that as Lewis’s excuse when he can’t even get a top 10 finish at Ferrari. Let’s agree that the Ferrari is the slowest car on the grid next year and Lewis is testing parts and that’s why he can’t get any points. Come on Lewis we have all the excuses ready for you mate 😊😊😊😊
@@stableianF1oracle stable? I think not
So I guess when Max didn't have the same HP as the Mercs earlier in F1 seasons (>2007) that was ok. You know because LH was such a talent when you have a extra 100hp at your disposal. He called it hammer time...what a joke.
It won’t matter if Lewis comes 10th this year and 10th next year at Ferrari as his lovers already have the excuse book running 24 hours a day.
Well, is he past his 'prime'? You would have to say at least yes to this. If we are referring to his prime years. However, I personally believe in the right car he can challenge again. They have a new car again and aren't as ready as Ferrari but will develop it surely and he will start to put up results just watch.
At a certain age and experience level, drivers like Lewis simply have too much experience to be "bad" and when you compare them to hungrier rookie drivers (let's say Bearman) it may seem like Lewis is "washed" so to speak. But the reality is, put Bearman into the Mercedes and watch him fumble. This is precisely why Toto won't put a rookie in the car right now to replace lewis. It's a high risk, and a driver like Lewis can still avoid risks while maximizing the potential of a bad car. Give lewis the Ferrari next to Bearman and watch him dominate the rookie because of making less mistakes. If a driver simply can't learn after several seasons (like stroll or latiffi) then they must be cut. Because no amount of experience will compensate.
Very easy answer… yes
The last time Hamilton was at his best was when the car was good. It hasn’t been good for 3 years now. That might be different next year at Ferrari. Only time will tell.
You're correct. Even when Max didn't have the best car he still drove the wheels off it and was competitive in a lot of races. That's what makes him special.
@@kjay5056
What, 8 wins in 6-7 years? Beaten by Ricciardo twice? A history of poor calibre teammates & crashes galore under pressure?
Super special that is.
Max is winning because he has a car 1 second a lap ahead of P2, and a piss-poor teammate.
As soon as he isn’t in that car, he goes back to where he was from 2015-2021. It’s really that simple.
Yes past sell by date ferrari will regret wasting all that money on a has been 😅
yeah
Charles choked regularly, not sure he deserves the accolades you always give him , also making excuses for Lewis is a bit sad , he’s well past his prime , he’s will be another Kimi in Ferrari .
Yes, naturally at 39 he is definitely past his peak neurologically, physiologically, and now probably psychologically as well. He kept it up amazingly until 2021, when I think he was definitely at his peak, but the disappointment of having a world title robbed from him that way, and, sadly, not having a competitive car for the following two seasons (going on three), has made him loose touch with that edge of pushing for those 1/100 seconds for a pole, or having the knife in his teeth to win a race, all traits he had amply in 2021, a year I think he deserved the title more than Verstappen. Regardless, next year will definitely be interesting, but I do wonder, in view of his difficulty beating Russell at Mercedes, how old Lewis will do against a very fast, very acclimated to the team Leclerc. But, as a Brazilian who rooted for Massa in 2008, I would love to see sir Lewis win another championship. Or two.
Well, this is a loaded question. Of course, he is. But could he still win? Yes. He just won’t have the car for the rest of his career.
At Ferrari they deeply regret choosing Hamilton instead of Carlos.
Raikonnen, Alonso and Schumacher all had breaks in their F1 careers before continuing on into their 40s...surely Hamilton disbenefits from not having had such a break?