Lewis Hamilton has dominated headlines during the F1 winter break, with a fresh start with Ferrari causing much excitement after arriving at Maranello a few weeks ago.
With one of the sport’s most successful drivers ever joining up with the most historic and most successful F1 team, the partnership is a major statement of intent, as together they set out to create history, although time is not on their side.
History is not weighted in Hamilton’s favour, either, as just three drivers – the most recent of which, Sir Jack Brabham, came 60 years ago – have won the world title after turning 40 years of age.
Hamilton will have very few chances remaining based on his current contract, with the British driver signing for up to three seasons with Ferrari, but former F1 owner Bernie Ecclestone believes Hamilton won’t even last two years.
“He won’t last that long,” Ecclestone told the Telegraph.
“Piero Ferrari, who has taken him there, still thinks they’ve done the right thing. I hope they have. I hope they haven’t just jumped in and end up wishing they hadn’t.”
It will not only be a challenge for Hamilton to beat the likes of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Mercedes’ George Russell, and McLaren’s Lando Norris, but the British driver will have to fend off his highly-rated and talented team-mate Charles Leclerc, a driver regarded as a Champion-in-waiting as one of the sport’s fastest drivers.
Having turned 40 in January, Leclerc being 13 years younger than Hamilton may well be a deciding factor in the outcome of their intra-team battle for number one driver.
“I have my theory about this. It’s not the age with drivers, it’s how long they have been doing the same thing,” Ecclestone said.
