F1 News: Jeremy Clarkson Delivers Hard Truth About Lewis Hamilton

Saajan Jogia | Nov 12, 2024

2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Thursday / LAT Images

Jeremy Clarkson, known for being the former host of Top Gear and The Grand Tour, has made bold claims about Lewis Hamilton, including that the driver is now too old for Formula 1. Clarkson also shared his thoughts on Max Verstappen and took a jab at Lance Stroll, reflecting on key takeaways from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Hamilton has recently made headlines following the release of Matt Whyman's new book, Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane, which offers an in-depth look at the workings of Mercedes after the author spent 18 months with the team. While much of the book's content being unveiled is related to Hamilton's anticipated move to Ferrari in 2025, it has overshadowed the seven-time world champion's performance at the recent Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

During the qualifying session in Brazil, Hamilton failed to reach Q3 for the sprint, and the main race, followed by a 10th place finish in Sunday's wet race, while his teammate George Russell started second and managed to lead the race until an erroneous Mercedes strategy pitted him at the wrong time, leading him to eventually finish the race in fourth place. Hamilton, who faced challenges with the W15's grip, stated that the Brazil round was one of his worst races.

As Hamilton moves to Ferrari next year seeking his eighth world title, Clarkson reckons he is "past his prime," and the recent lows in his performance since the summer break are a result of his old age of 39. Clarkson, however, branded Verstappen as one of Formula 1's all-time greats, a statement supported by the Dutchman's stellar performance in Brazil, where he started the race in P17 due to an engine penalty but won the race with a lead of over 19 seconds ahead of runner-up Esteban Ocon. Writing in his column in The Sun, the Clarkson's Farm star stated:

"We learned two important things during last weekend’s grand prix in Brazil.

'Well, three, if you count Lance Stroll, who crashed his freshly repaired car on the formation lap, and then drove it into a gravel trap.

"First of all, Max Verstappen is one of the all-time greats, he may even be the greatest driver we’ve ever seen, and second, Lewis Hamilton is past his prime.

"He blamed his car for his tail-end qualifying session but his team-mate, George Russell was on the front row.

"Of course, it’s possible that because Lewis is moving to Ferrari next year, the team are filling his fuel tank with lemon barley water instead of petrol.

"But that seems unlikely, it is far more probable that he’s now too old."