Rosberg questions Lewis Hamilton’s current F1 form, citing age and Ferrari struggles, while praising Verstappen’s dominance over McLaren rivals.
Nico Rosberg sided with Nick Heidfeld, who suggested that Lewis Hamilton might be feeling the effects of age, with his performances at Ferrari continuing to fall short of expectations this year.
Although the 40-year-old has recently improved by securing two consecutive top-five finishes, he still ended up 48 seconds behind Leclerc, who finished second in Monaco last weekend.
For Rosberg, the 2016 F1 World Champion, his former teammate’s form at Ferrari isn’t much different from his final year at Mercedes, where he was overshadowed by George Russell.
“It’s kind of a continuation of last year’s form, where there was already a slight dip, but George had the upper hand, was beating him at Mercedes and also finished ahead in the standings.”
“There are just a few small shortcomings here and there, especially in top speed during qualifying. We know Charles is an excellent qualifier, so Lewis needs to find a bit more pace.”
Rosberg spent four seasons as Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes, from 2013 to 2016. That period marked the beginning of Hamilton’s F1 dominance, and his loss to Rosberg in 2016 pushed him to continue his rise, eventually becoming the most decorated driver in F1 history.
- ReadMore>Hamilton’s Move to Ferrari: Rosberg Weighs In
- ReadMore>Rosberg’s Hefty Bill for F1 Collisions with Hamilton
Hamilton Slowing With Age
However, Rosberg stated that all drivers start to lose pace at some point, and considering Hamilton’s recent struggles, he wonders if the Briton has passed his peak.
“Even if he’s the greatest of all time, at some point you’re going to slow down a bit, and that’s age-related.”
“And at 40, it happens sooner rather than later. So the question is whether that time has come, when you start to slow down a little.”
“Even a tenth of a second can make a huge difference in this sport, especially against one of the best of the new generation, like Charles Leclerc, who is considered one of the top qualifiers.”
While Rosberg criticized Hamilton’s pace, he also praised Max Verstappen, whom he now ranks among the greatest drivers in F1 history.
The German believes the Red Bull driver’s results against a superior McLaren this year are proof of his talent and skill behind the wheel.
“I’ve been saying for a while that he has moved into the top five greatest drivers of all time in F1, alongside Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and Juan Manuel Fangio. He’s proving it again this year, because that car hasn’t been competitive at all, and he’s still in the championship fight, winning races against that McLaren.”
“Verstappen has done a phenomenal job so far.”
- Discover More>Clause and effect: Verstappen exit talk heats up
- Following us on>Facebook et Twitter