Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, last won a world championship in 2020. At the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he was controversially disqualified from winning a record-breaking eighth drivers’ championship.
Since then, Mercedes has struggled to compete, and Hamilton has been forced to watch his legendary title rival Max Verstappen rule the sport and win two more world titles.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021 marked the beginning of Hamilton’s two-year barren streak, while Mercedes experienced its first winless season since 2011.
With their brand-new W15 rival, Mercedes hopes to restore parity with Red Bull in 2024.
However, Eddie Irvine, who finished second in the 1999 Formula One World Championship and earned four victories, thinks Hamilton, who is currently 39 years old, has little chance of surpassing the record he shares with Michael Schumacher.
Eddie Irvine (GBR) on the grid. Round 14 of the Formula 1 World Championship, Zandvoort, Netherlands, Race
“Hamilton and Mercedes’s triumphant era is now over,” Irvine stated to La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy.
Lewis is still, however, a very skilled driver who is driven to achieve his goals. Although the comparison with Verstappen is difficult, Max is still doing a fantastic job behind the wheel of an F1 car because he is younger, slightly faster, and has a strong belief in his own abilities.
Hamilton’s future possibilities are contingent upon Mercedes’s level of competitiveness in 2024. Lewis hasn’t won a race in the previous two seasons, but that may change if Toto Wolff’s team gets back to a fast car.
“His background has demonstrated that he is capable of seizing every opportunity that presents itself throughout both the race and qualification. I don’t think he will be able to capture the Championship once again and fulfil his ambition of taking home an eighth trophy, though.
