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Former Red Bull racer Robert Doornbos believes that Lewis Hamilton has never come out from the disaster of the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP and has been a shadow of himself. The championship battle between Hamilton and Verstappen in 2021went in the favor of the Red Bull driver, but it happened in an unusual manner.
Going into the last race of the season, it all came down to who finished ahead in the final race. Lewis Hamilton was the favorite to win the race for the majority of the time until the late race safety car and race director's controversial decision to go racing on the final lap of the season. Max Verstappen would clinch the title with the last-lap overtake, and Hamilton has not fought for the title since.
Since 2021, Lewis Hamilton's overall performance has seen a major dip, as the racer was beaten two times over three years as George Russel's teammate at Mercedes, and his stint at Ferrari has been nothing short of a flop so far.
In an interaction with Motorsport Total, former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos said that the Birton racer never recovered from what happened in 2021 and has been unable to perform well. He said,
"With Lewis, it's a different story. His fans won't like to hear this, but it almost seems as if he lost his identity at times. In Abu Dhabi, he practically had his eighth title in his pocket. The fact that it didn't work out back then obviously hit him hard, and he never fully got over that blow."
Age alone is not a factor behind Hamilton's downfall
Lewis Hamilton's drop in form is often associated with the fact that he is now in his 40s, and with a relatively younger Charles Leclerc as a teammate, it's always going to be tough. Doornbos doesn't believes that age could be the only factor in Hamilton's dip in form, as he highlighted the names like Fernando Alonso and others. He said.
"Everyone can see that. Perhaps age also plays a role when you have to muster the energy for another long season. I hope he recovers during the summer break and comes back stronger. But at some point, you reach the point where you're past your prime."
He added,
"It can't be that he suddenly has no talent anymore. That doesn't make sense. LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Alonso – these are names at the absolute top level who are still delivering well into their 40s,"
If Hamilton's performances don't show an upward spike, then Ferrari might become a tough place to continue.
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