Celebrity F1 enthusiast Jeremy Clarkson questioned the form of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, claiming that the Britt is ‘past his prime’ after his recent performances on the grid. Clarkson also heaped praise on Hamilton’s 2021 title rival Max Verstappen, labeling him the ‘greatest driver we’ve ever seen’
Verstappen moved closer to securing his fourth consecutive World Championship last weekend in Brazil, clinching victory after starting from 17th on the grid. The Red Bull driver now leads Lando Norris by 62 points with three races remaining in the F1 2024 season, including Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
Another title win would make the Dutchman only the second driver in F1 history, after Red Bull legend Sebastian Vettel, who reigned from 2010 to 2013, to capture four World Championships in consecutive years.
In his column for The Sun, Clarkson argued that Hamilton is now “too old” to perform at his best, while Verstappen could be on track to become the greatest driver in F1 history.
“We learned two important things during last weekend’s Grand Prix in Brazil. Well, three, if you count Lance Stroll, who crashed his freshly repaired car on the formation lap and then drove it into a gravel trap.” Clarkson said.
“First of all, Max Verstappen is one of the all-time greats. He may even be the greatest driver we’ve ever seen. And second, Lewis Hamilton is past his prime. He blamed his car for his tail-end qualifying session but his teammate, George Russell, was on the front row. Of course, it’s possible that because Lewis is moving to Ferrari next year, the team is filling his fuel tank with lemon barley water instead of petrol. But that seems unlikely. It’s far more probable that he’s now too old.” he added.
Verstappen’s commanding performance in Brazil stood in stark contrast to Hamilton’s struggles, as the seven-time World Champion, the most decorated driver in F1 history with over 100 Grand Prix wins and pole positions, couldn’t find his rhythm with his Mercedes.
Hamilton failed to make it to Q3 in qualifying for both the sprint and main races, finishing a distant 10th in a race where teammate George Russell started on the front row and led early on.
Russell has out-qualified his more celebrated teammate in 16 of the 21 races so far in the 2024 F1 season, excluding sprint qualifying sessions. Hamilton appeared dejected after the race in Brazil, acknowledging that the second half of the F1 2024 season has been “devastating.” He had hoped to finish his Mercedes career on a high note following victories at Silverstone and Spa before the summer break.
Hamilton is due to join Charles Leclerc in Scuderia Ferrari next season. The Prancing Horses showed the door to Carlos Sainz with the Spaniard moving to Williams. Mercedes will be led by George Russell alongside current Silver Arrows backup driver Kimi Antonelli.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
