Ex-F1 champion refutes claims of Lewis Hamilton being too old for latest stint at Ferrari

Former F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen emphasized that age will not hamper Lewis Hamilton's performance at Ferrari this year.

Ex-F1 champion refutes claims of Lewis Hamilton being too old for latest stint at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton (via Scuderia Ferrari)

Lewis Hamilton is the second oldest driver on the current grid at the age of 40. Nevertheless, the seven-time world champion decided to jump ship to Scuderia Ferrari for this year. Now, former F1 champion Mika Hakkinen has insisted that the Briton can still perform at his peak.

Doubts have been raised over Hamilton’s age. Though, the F1 star has made it clear that being old was just a state of mind. Moreover, the seven-time world champion proclaimed that he would not think about retiring from the sport till he becomes 50 years old.

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Mika Hakkinen pointed out that Lewis Hamilton has always evolved throughout every state of his career. The Finn asserted that the age of 40 was not too much. Hakkinen pointed out that training methods in the sport have become even more advanced compared to the time when he raced almost two decades ago.

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He has always been able to evolve, he has a lot of experience and, in my opinion, 40 years is not too much. Maybe they were in my time, but today training methods and science have made giant strides.

Mika Hakkinen told Gianmaria Rosati in an interview

Mika Hakkinen predicts Lewis Hamilton’s impact on Ferrari

The former F1 champion reckoned that Hamilton will certainly have a positive impact on the Scuderia, similar to the effect he had on McLaren and Mercedes over the course of his career. Lewis Hamilton’s arrival to Maranello has already been seen as a culture shock for the Italian team.

Lewis Hamilton (via Scuderia Ferrari)
Lewis Hamilton (via Scuderia Ferrari)

I think Lewis will have a positive impact, just like the one he had in McLaren and Mercedes.

Mika Hakkinen added

Lewis Hamilton has high ambitions for his switch to Ferrari. The 40-year-old wants to win a world championship with the Italian team. However, this will not be an easy task considering the fierce battle at the front of the grid. Nevertheless, the Tifosi would be hoping to see Hamilton end the Scuderia’s long title drought in F1.