In his earlier years, Lewis Hamilton made a profound impact on Formula 1 history, creating a sensation with his remarkable achievements. However, in the last two seasons, he has faced a major downturn in performance, coinciding with the emergence of Verstappen in the paddock.
Lately, the introduction of the latest W15 updates marked Hamilton’s final attempt to secure his eighth title in the upcoming 2024 season. Unfortunately, his aspirations face a significant challenge, as Schumacher’s teammate recently delivered a crushing blow to Hamilton’s hopes in a recent interview.
A former Schumacher teammate believes Lewis Hamilton era is over
Former Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine strongly believes that Lewis Hamilton should retire in the near future rather than holding onto the hope of clinching the eighth title of the championship.
Irvine was Michael Schumacher’s teammate in 1999, with the British driver being the first to break his legendary record of seven consecutive titles. Irvine has observed Schumacher closely, and according to him, Hamilton’s era of dominance is officially over.
Former Ferrari Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine says he does not expect Lewis Hamilton to break Irvine’s former team mate Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world championship titles.
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) January 13, 2024
“The era of the triumphs of Hamilton and Mercedes is now over, but Lewis is still a very good… pic.twitter.com/qcBfewqmiV
Lewis Hamilton has been facing numerous struggles in the past few seasons to surpass his ultimate rival, Max Verstappen. This season, he has expressed his optimistic opinions for the Mercedes W15, which could be a final turning point for the team after all these years,
However, a negative statement coming from a very important figure in the industry has profusely raised questions regarding their hopes of regaining their dominance in the paddock. Irvine said, “The era of the triumphs of Hamilton and Mercedes is now over, but Lewis is still a very good driver, very focused on objectives, and eager to obtain results,” per La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Jenson Button remains confident in Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
On the other side, Formula 1 Champion Jenson Button believes that no other team, but Mercedes, is most likely to challenge the “Unbeatable Bulls” in the upcoming 2024 season. Even though Mercedes has been encountering several mechanical issues with their W14, their W15 updates looked promising to secure the championship on the tracks.
Last year, the team was successful in keeping their P2 position stable despite the numerous threats from their rival team, Ferrari.
Jenson Button diz que a Mercedes “vai melhorar muito” em 2024, pois apenas RB e Mercedes foram campeãs nos últimos 10 anos.
— Mercedes-AMG F1 Brasil 🇧🇷 (@MercedesAMGF1BR) January 11, 2024
Ele acredita que Lewis elevará o patamar do time.
“Lewis é sempre ótimo em velocidade pura, mas parece muito mais confiante e confortável consigo.” pic.twitter.com/9VEODptdTW
Along with thousands of fans, Button believes in Hamilton’s capabilities too, which will hopefully become fruitful for the 2024 season among the heated battles in the paddock. He said, “Mercedes. When you look at the last 10 years in the sport, it’s Mercedes and Red Bull, so it would be Mercedes. I would love to say, Ferrari, I would love to have them in the mix.”
Do you think Mercedes would be able to secure victories in the 2024 season? Let us know in the comment section below.
