Lewis Hamilton’s decline? Formula E champion says it’s not just age: “Think of Nadal”. Lucas Di Grassi compares Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles to Nadal’s hunger in tennis.

Lewis Hamilton’s adventure at Ferrari is not yet delivering the hoped-for results. The world champion’s struggles to find the right harmony with the team and the car, along with the car’s poor performance, have left Lewis Hamilton currently in seventh place in the drivers’ standings, 12 points behind his Maranello teammate, Charles Leclerc. According to critics, one of the reasons behind Lewis Hamilton’s difficulties adapting is age: the British driver turned 40 in January this year. Still, despite the disappointment and his age, the 40-year-old’s goal remains to win his eighth title with Ferrari. In an interview, a Formula E champion and childhood friend of Lewis Hamilton spoke about the chances of that happening.

Lucas Di Grassi’s opinion
“I think age plays a part, but also how hungry he still is,” said Lucas Di Grassi. “I think there are many factors, yes. How many millions he has in the bank, how much he truly wants another title, whether he’s still willing to sacrifice his whole life like he did when he was chasing his first title, how much time he spends in the simulator… And I believe that age and the later stages of a career are part of all that, right? It’s something very unusual. One of the things that strikes me most is the comparison with another sport, right?

“Like Nadal: he won Roland Garros 14 times, and played every single point as if it were the point of his life. If he loses that point, it looks like he won’t eat the next day. Having that hunger, like Nadal has in every tennis point, makes a huge difference here too.” – he pointed out – “Being able to sacrifice everything… and as you get older, you have your family, you’ve built your career, you have other opportunities. So it depends a lot on individual psychology. And I’m 100% sure Lewis is no longer at the peak of his technical ability. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is, in my opinion, one of the greatest drivers in history.”

“And I grew up with him. I’ve known him since karting, we did Formula 3, Formula 2, and even a bit of Formula 1 together. So I know him very well. He’s one of the greatest drivers to have ever lived.” – Lucas Di Grassi concluded.