Lewis Hamilton: “Slower reflexes? My start was quicker than Antonelli’s, and he’s 19…”
Lewis Hamilton responded with his trademark sense of humor to one of the most common questions surrounding the later stages of his Formula 1 career during the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone. The seven-time world champion dismissed suggestions that age has affected his reaction times, pointing to his lightning-fast getaway at the race start as evidence that he can still match—and even outperform—drivers more than two decades younger.
A revitalized Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton’s transformation since joining Ferrari has been one of the standout stories of the 2026 Formula 1 season. After just nine Grands Prix, the British driver has already come remarkably close to matching the total number of championship points he collected throughout the entire 2025 campaign. Having amassed 147 points so far this season compared to the 156 he scored across the whole of last year, the statistics underline the dramatic turnaround in his fortunes.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion has quickly established himself as one of the leading contenders on the grid, adapting impressively to life at Ferrari and consistently extracting strong performances from the SF-26. His current 39-point advantage over teammate Charles Leclerc further highlights the momentum he has built during the opening phase of the championship and reflects how significantly the balance within the Scuderia has shifted.
Lewis Hamilton also remains firmly in the title fight. With Ferrari continuing to introduce performance upgrades and showing encouraging progress in recent races, the British driver finds himself only 32 points behind championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli, keeping his hopes of another world title very much alive.
Consistency has also become one of Lewis Hamilton’s greatest strengths this season. He is the only driver on the Formula 1 grid to have completed every racing lap contested so far in 2026, covering all 559 laps without interruption. In addition, he has scored championship points at every single race weekend, a level of reliability and consistency unmatched by any other competitor this year.
The Silverstone joke that delighted the fans
Lewis hamilton speaking about his reaction time 😉
"The whole thing about your reactions get slower It's complete rubbish, I had a faster reaction than Kimi yesterday and he's 19"
his laugh 🫠 pic.twitter.com/ALvLeQCccV— LH44(A) (@LH44Fanpage8) July 9, 2026
Over the past few hours, a video shared on social media has attracted significant attention among Formula 1 fans. The footage shows Lewis Hamilton speaking to guests at House44, the exclusive hospitality area created for his supporters during the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone.
During the conversation, the discussion naturally turned to the passing of time and whether advancing age inevitably affects a driver’s performances. At 41 and a half years old, Lewis Hamilton responded with a smile, using a real example from the Silverstone weekend to make his point.
“All this talk about your reactions supposedly getting slower is complete nonsense,” Lewis Hamilton said. “Yesterday I had a faster reaction at the start than Kimi did. And he’s 19 years old. So…”
The remark immediately drew laughter and applause from those in attendance, perfectly reflecting the confidence Lewis Hamilton has rediscovered since arriving at Ferrari. Beyond the joke, his comments were also backed up by his performances on track, where his race starts, consistency and outright pace have demonstrated that experience remains one of his greatest strengths. If Ferrari’s upward development trajectory continues over the second half of the season, Lewis Hamilton could remain a genuine contender in what is shaping up to be an increasingly fascinating Formula 1 title battle.
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