Nick Heidfeld believes Lewis Hamilton’s pace is fading at Ferrari, citing age and adaptation struggles in the post-2021 F1 era.
Age is clearly being reflected in Lewis Hamilton’s on-track performances, according to former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld.
After a narrow – and in the eyes of many, unfair – defeat to Max Verstappen in the 2021 World Championship, Hamilton’s results and pace have plateaued.
Hamilton Struggles With Transition
The seven-time world champion openly admits he hasn’t enjoyed the post-2021 ground effect era and is also not looking forward to the radically different cars set for 2026.
“Personally, I don’t think it’s heading in the right direction. We’re going slower, the cars are heavier. Next year, they’ll be lighter, but still the heaviest I’ve ever driven.”
Nevertheless, Hamilton performed well enough during these transitional years at Mercedes after 2021 to secure a lucrative move to Ferrari for this season, although his adaptation has been slow so far.
“I think the potential will still grow,” Heidfeld says in Monaco, during a rare visit to the F1 paddock.
“If the car suits him, he can still deliver at his best. We saw that in China. But compared to Charles Leclerc, he is currently lagging behind, especially in qualifying.”
Hamilton Faces Age Barrier
The German does not believe Hamilton has lost his talent. He simply feels the years are beginning to take their toll.
“Even if some don’t want to hear it, he’s no longer the youngest. Compared to the Hamilton of five or ten years ago, you can clearly see the differences.”
However, Heidfeld asserts that Hamilton’s years beyond 40 cannot be directly compared to the final, equally unspectacular years of fellow seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher’s career.
“Not quite,” he said. “Michael had been away for several years, whereas Lewis has continued.”
“But it shows that after many years in the same environment, a team change is difficult. Lewis had fully integrated at Mercedes; now he has to get used to a new car. And the older you get, the harder it is to start fresh.”
Sainz Shines, Max Rebels
Hamilton’s arrival at Maranello came at the expense of Carlos Sainz, whom Heidfeld names as the biggest surprise of the 2025 season so far.
“I was surprised he joined a weaker team like Williams. But together, they’ve made enormous progress.”
Heidfeld also has a final word on Max Verstappen, increasingly perceived as a “rebel” in F1.
“Hard to say if he really is. But it’s obvious – he doesn’t go with the flow. He believes in himself and questions things. He knows how to make himself understood with few words in the paddock. When something doesn’t suit him, he says so.”
“The fact that he didn’t take part in the Netflix filming because it was too fake for him says a lot. What matters is that he keeps his feet on the ground and continues improving, and that’s exactly what he’s doing.”
“He lives his life, knows how to disconnect between F1 and his other interests.”
- Discover More>“It’s Unwise to Lie to Max, Warns Jos Verstappen”
- Following us on>Facebook and>Twitter