Stewart Assesses Hamilton's Chances Of Success With Ferrari At 40 Years Old

Saturday, 05 October 2024 at 22:00

Former F1 driver and triple World Champion Jackie Steward discussed whether Lewis Hamilton's age will play a role in the upcoming seasons as he plans to join Ferrari.

Following the end of the 2024 season, Lewis Hamilton will join the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team, where he will continue chasing his dream of winning the eighth World Championship title.

However, it won't be easy for the Briton, as he is already 39 years old and will turn 40 by the time he starts his first season with the Italian team.

The seven-time World Champion is currently the second oldest driver on the grid. The only older driver is his former McLaren teammate and a double World Champion Fernando Alonso.

Asked what he thought about the fact that Lewis Hamilton will be 40 years old when he joins the team from Maranello, Jackie Stewart told RacingNews365:

"Yes, I'm somewhat surprised by that, because of becoming 40 and going into a team that has very recently become very competitive."

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"It's more difficult for him to do it, I think, at 40 years than it would have been if he was 25 or 30 years."

Stewart won three F1 titles in his career. He was 34 years old when he won his third F1 title, after which he retired from the sport and professional racing.

While he suggested it's going to be challenging for Hamilton, he also belives the Briton still has enough talent and skill to compete for the title. He added:

"But he's still got the skill and talent. That is obvious at present, such as at the British Grand Prix this year [Hamilton ending a two-year winless drought]."

"It's unusual [going to Ferrari], but at some point he has to retire as a racing driver. He feels that time has not yet arrived, and I can understand that."