F1 legend identifies critical factor that is inevitably hindering Hamilton's performances in Ferrari

12:49, 22 Jun

byTobia Elia

René Arnoux still believes in Lewis Hamilton’s abilities despite a very tough start to his Ferrari chapter, but he points to one crucial factor the Briton will inevitably have to face.

No one expected Lewis Hamilton to match—let alone outperform—Charles Leclerc in his first season with Ferrari, let alone fight for the title. However, with zero podiums so far and a brutal comparison with his teammate, it’s clear the Brit is struggling to adapt to the completely new environment of Maranello.

On top of that, there’s another factor Hamilton will inevitably have to contend with: age is catching up with him. According to René Arnoux, this is precisely the main factor holding Hamilton back from performing at the level he once did in his prime.

lewis hamilton in canadian grand prix press conference

Age is a problem for Hamilton

“Hamilton tries hard, but he has the handicap of age'', the Frenchman told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“At 40, it’s not easy to put up with the athletic effort that these cars require. To keep up he should have a car that is significantly faster than the others and that is not the case.”

“Leclerc always drives beyond the problems, he spits blood to go fast. I liked him a lot at Monte Carlo: he tried very hard to induce Norris to make a mistake, but Lando was very good''.

Adding to all this is the SF-25’s clear lack of performance, along with an increasingly tense situation within Ferrari.

“It seems to me that something is always missing'', Arnoux added. “To be objective you have to admit that they always struggle to find the right setup and that’s one of the main difficulties of these F1 (cars)''.

“If you don’t find it right away, the weekend is pretty much compromised. The results speak for themselves''.

“I would love to be wrong and see Ferrari win, but when you hear the team principal say that he is satisfied with a fourth or fifth place? I cannot understand these things. I hope they are already working on the 2026 car, otherwise we are in a bad way.”