Hamilton's former rival casts doubt on eight title pursuit: 'The struggles are still real'

Following his fierce title battle with Max Verstappen in 2021, which was decided on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion has never again had a car capable of fighting for the championship. Aside from a handful of podiums and occasional victories, he has been well out of title contention for the past five years.

The Briton even left Mercedes after 12 years to take on one final major challenge with Ferrari, but his time in red has so far been marked by more lows than highs, particularly during his debut season last year. Things have improved this year, with two podium finishes in the opening five races, but the SF-26 still falls short of the benchmark team, which has once again become his former outfit.

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Rosberg said Hamilton would deserve to win an eighth Formula 1 world title and backed him to continue making progress this season. He believes the Ferrari driver is capable of winning at least one race this year, but feels both the car and Hamilton's current level fall short of what is required to mount a championship challenge. Rosberg nevertheless hopes to see further improvement as the season progresses, adding that even the sport's highest-paid stars still face very real struggles despite their success.

Rosberg described Hamilton's move to Ferrari as another major challenge and acknowledged the difficulties that come with it. He noted that the Briton has adapted far better to the current regulations than he did last season, but stressed that he is up against a formidable benchmark in Charles Leclerc. According to Rosberg, the Monegasque is currently at the peak of his abilities and ranks among the standout drivers of his generation, making Hamilton's task even more demanding.