What Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles confirm about modern F1

 

It’s safe to say that Lewis Hamilton’s move to Scuderia Ferrari hasn’t gone as planned, with rumours beginning to swirl that his retirement is on the horizon.

Plenty of pundits have hypothesized the reasons for Hamilton’s slip — and Franz Tost has thrown his hat in the ring, too.

Lewis Hamilton’s ‘complex’ modern F1 problem

Plenty of people have pitched their ideas about Lewis Hamilton’s performance slump, suggesting that perhaps the seven-time champion is simply too old, or that he may be too distracted with his other affairs.

But former Formula 1 team boss Franz Tost has a much different idea.

“Hamilton’s example proves how complex Formula 1 has become,” Tost told F1 Insider.

“Especially because it’s all about hundredths of a second that can make the difference.”

And those hundredths can quickly stack up, as we saw at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix; in practice, Hamilton was losing tenths to his teammate Charles Leclerc in each sector.

 

Could it truly be that Hamilton doesn’t mesh well with modern Formula 1?

Tost wouldn’t be the first person to suggest it; in fact, many feel that Hamilton’s performance first started to slip in 2022, coinciding with the introduction of ground effect regulations.

 

As we discussed previously on PlanetF1.com, Hamilton developed his driving style prior to the introduction of ground effect. When he dives into a corner, he likes to do so late on the brakes, and he also likes to make minute directional adjustments with the steering wheel as he goes.

But with a ground effect car, Hamilton’s driving style can result in a lack of stability through the corner — which echoes Hamilton’s ongoing complaints that he can’t feel the SF-25 beneath him, and that it has a tendency to lost balance as he turns.

Or is it really just Hamilton’s age? For Tost, it may not be the main reason for the seven-time champion’s struggle, but it certainly plays a role.

“Leclerc knows the team, and the age difference is also his advantage,” Tost explained.

“If Hamilton wins the duel, Leclerc will have lost prestige. He therefore has to win and do everything he can to achieve it.”