DAMON HILL feels that Lewis Hamilton, given his age and experience in F1, has started to “lose his speed on the track”.
Hill, who won the world championship with Williams in 1996, said that “the arrival of the younger, faster driver” can seriously impact an older team-mate.
The former racing driver was specifically referring to George Russell’s ability to out-qualify Hamilton.
Russell,25, leads Hamilton 3-0 in their qualifying head-to-heads in 2023.
Hamilton,38, was also out-performed by his younger team-mate last season, with the seven-time-world champion failing to win a single race in 2022 for the first time in his career.
Despite clinching his own title at age 36, Hill referenced how the sport has a history of seeing veteran drivers struggle against younger team-mates.
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Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, he said: “Drivers in their late 30s can no longer do those absolutely absurd kind of transcendental laps that they used to be able to do when they were in their 20s.
“George is super quick, and he’s revelling in the early part of his career and he’s got this speed.
“I don’t know if Lewis has acknowledged that he can’t match that, or I’m sure he will eventually.
“But, I mean, it’s possible that that instinctive unconscious speed is starting to leave him, it does happen”.
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Hill insisted that Hamilton and Russell’s relationship brings back memories from the past: “Niki Lauda had Alain Prost arrive.
“When the older, experienced driver is faced by the speed of a young arrival, they can get depressed about it or devote their energy to making sure the outcome in the race is the thing that matters”.
The 2023 season has begun on a rather precarious note again for Hamilton’s Mercedes team.
Though it is Hamilton who has claimed the team’s best finish so far in this campaign, crossing the line in P2 in Australia.
That did come after Russell, who had earlier been leading his team-mate, was forced to retire prematurely after his car set on fire.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
