As Lewis Hamilton prepares for a monumental switch from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025, David Coulthard has drawn a comparison between the seven-time world champion and another seven-time champion, Michael Schumacher. The highly anticipated move, marking Hamilton’s second career team change, comes after more than a decade with Mercedes, where he won six of his seven Formula 1 world titles. Now, the 40-year-old Briton will team up with Charles Leclerc and Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, a former colleague from Formula 1‘s early days.
Coulthard, a former driver for McLaren and Red Bull, commented on Hamilton’s age, suggesting that it may impact his performance in the coming seasons. “The key ingredient of all of the greats over the history of time has been the ability to qualify and race,” said Coulthard. He pointed out that at 40 years old, Hamilton may have lost a step compared to his earlier years, making it potentially difficult for him to challenge Leclerc over the course of a season. “If Lewis Hamilton, at 40, has lost a yard in footballing terms, then he may well struggle to beat Charles Leclerc over the course of a year,” Coulthard noted.
Despite the concerns, Coulthard emphasized that Hamilton‘s future success is ultimately in his own hands. “It is for him to show us,” he added. “It is not about us putting him down and saying he cannot do it, because it is in his hands.” This echoes the same sentiment that Hamilton has been vocal about, as he prepares for his next challenge.
Hamilton and Schumacher: A Parallell in Career Shifts
Drawing parallels between Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, Coulthard reflected on Schumacher‘s return to Formula 1 in 2010 with Mercedes. Schumacher’s second stint at Mercedes didn’t match his earlier success with Ferrari, with his only podium finish being a third place at the 2012 European GP. “Mercedes does not exist for Lewis Hamilton, and Lewis Hamilton has made it clear that he does not exist for Mercedes,” Coulthard observed. “In the same way, when Michael Schumacher came back from retirement to sign for Mercedes, it was really shocking to imagine him being anything other than a Ferrari legend.”
However, despite Schumacher’s struggles in his return to Formula 1, the allure of Mercedes was too strong for him to resist. “He did a couple of years, he did okay, but it was not the same as how he was in his first stint in Formula 1,” Coulthard concluded.
As Hamilton heads into the final stages of his career with Mercedes, and his long-awaited move to Ferrari looms, questions remain about how his performance will stack up against his younger teammates, especially Leclerc. The 2024 season still has some time left, with Hamilton’s final races with Mercedes set to take place, beginning with the Las Vegas GP. Whether Hamilton can prove Coulthard wrong and continue his legacy as one of the best drivers in Formula 1 remains to be seen.
