Can Lewis Hamilton Get Back To His "Prime" At Ferrari?

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Interesting comment that just came out of Toto regarding the decision not to offer Lewis anything more than a one plus one deal: "We're in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life. So I need to look at the next generation." 👀

[@louispritchard4688]

@@TommoMcCluskey kind of disrespectful from toto. Lewis carried merc for years and now toto is basically saying Lewis is past it. It’s ok for fans to say that but his own team principal is mad. Hopefully Lewis uses that as motivation to prove him and everyone else wrong

[@AyukaAmameth]

@@louispritchard4688true lmao even horner doesnt say these shit to CHECO LOL😂

[@harveyoshea9376]

Lewis could say the same thing about Toto. He doesnt even turn up to all the races anymore, not to mention that Mercedes have been the most inconsistent team of these new regs.

[@DenUitvreter]

@@louispritchard4688 No, Mercedes carried Hamilton for years and made Bottas look a very good driver.

[@josiahboatengmyrie]

Toto is a bum look at fernando sharp as ever at 42 age is nothing but a number if you’re good enough you keep the man as long as he wants to be there

[@chiefbeef9905]

Imo he's like Alonso - very motivation driven. When the car is bad, his performances drop, but when he has a shot at a podium or victory he absolutely comes alive. Just like Alonso also, whilst his best is arguably behind him, he's still Lewis Fucking Hamilton

[@Poussyeater-w5e]

Yeah agreed

[@Shifftee]

Yeap, we’ve seen exactly this with Alonso these past two years. When the car was fast, he was almost winning races (and would’ve won in Monaco had the strategy team got their shit together!). This year, as the car turned back into a tractor, Alonso doesn’t even mind Stroll beating him.

[@theonlylolking]

Because they are world champions they do not need to prove that they have what it takes to become a world championship driver. All of the drivers that are not must prove day in and day out that they should have a seat.

[@Theratron]

100% this. In Silverstone this year Lewis still made it happen. But I do wonder if he can keep that up for an entire season, like in 2021. Next year is going to be extremely interesting, since I regard Leclerc very highly.

[@ultimateninjanoob1]

That is same for everyone not just 1 or 2 drivers but once they are behind the wheel drivers do their best to drive to the best of their abilities. They both should not be in F1, but are dragging their career far too long

[@quavosayhewantsomebeefwith5541]

Anyone who has followed lewis career for a long time knows that he doesn’t give 100% once there isn’t anything left to win. Everytime he won the drivers championship before the end of the season his teammates would all of a sudden start beating him. When he annonuced he was going to mercedes his performance droppes of then too. Lewis is motivated by excelling and beating people. That’s why he pushed so hard for second last year because he wanted to show that he could beat a red bull. Now he’s off to ferrari next year and Mercedes aren’t really going to lose or gain places in the constructors. Trust me this mans is going to push like hell when he gets to ferrari especially if the car is good. He knows he has to beat charles.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

That's a good point, I wonder if that almost conservation of his powers will enable him to go for longer than he would otherwise? I mean mentally pushing at 100% every single time must eventually catch up with you, so being more strategic when you do and don't push fully could be smart.

[@louispritchard4688]

@@TommoMcCluskey Didn't actually think of that. Would save him from being mentally and physically drained and would explain the longevity. Common sense if you think about it

[@DenUitvreter]

No better opportunity to excell than not having a superior car. Since 2022, for the first time in his career, he was in an inferior car. He didn't excell, Russell was better right away. Russell already proved in 2020 in the Mercedes he was quite a bit better than Bottas too. Russell has now 'come into his own' and was underestimated. All teammates of Hamilton have been underestimated until they had to be re-evaluated when they were 'suprisingly' close. Button, Rosberg, Bottas and now Russell. Maybe Hamilton was overestimated? Again and again and again? Great drivers never needed so much excuses being made up for them.

[@yurilopes420]

"he knows he has to beat charles" i cannot wait for this i swear to god holy shit if ferrari really lock in like they are now, hamilton leclerc are gonna push the shit out of each other.....

[@henkjanvanraikonnen5073]

I'm a big Hamilton fan. I really think it's a shame that this multiple world champion can't get more out of it. The car is worthless at times, but it should get more out of its stature when things are going well. This detracts from the period of success and it really comes across that it was the car that was successful at the time and at least Lewis. Stroll had also become world champion in the then successful Mercedes

[@KappaDoge]

As soon as lewis had a good car at silverstone. He showed why he's won there 9 times.

[@dragonfire4957]

So it the car..thank you Merc for his 6 titles

[@TommoMcCluskey]

When the car is nailed in that operating window, so is he.

[@gaiusjuliuscaesar2309]

@@dragonfire4957so it’s your opinion that a driver should win in a sauber? Silverstone he didn’t even have the best car just good enough to allow him to beat the faster ones

[@KappaDoge]

@@dragonfire4957 It's not the car, because Max is on track for the WDC and perez is behind both Mercedes IN 8TH. Why is perez not 2nd like bottas was at mercedes? Lando has had the fastest car for over half a season and still hasn't won many races. A fast car doesn't automatically make you fast.

[@Meloen83]

So basically he needs a good car to look good?

[@sitordan]

Is Hamilton still as sharp as he was 5 years ago? No. Is he still an amazing driver who, if given a good car, can perform at a very high level? Definitely.

[@luizansounds]

Good comparison is lauda in 84, squeezing everything they can from the end of their careers and hope to get a title even if they arent their prime selves

[@m1-wrighty_ldn]

Well that’s the thing, if he gets that good car then he is sharp 😂 2021 was his prime in terms of sharpness… the way him and Max absolutely destroyed everyone in races both being ahead of the rest by like 30seconds in majority of races, since then it’s so clear he hasn’t been able to compete with the car he’s been given since, there was obviously a phase in 2024 where Merc started to come into their own again and now they faded drastically

[@Bananananananannananananna]

@@m1-wrighty_ldni would argue that wasn’t lewis’ ‘sharpest’. I would say his days with vettel in 2017&18 were probably the prime of the prime, although most of lewis’ car is his prime lol.

[@richy69ify]

He hasn't improved since 2007. Was still making rookie errors in 2021 and 2022.

[@richy69ify]

@@bniceuk8207 he has poor race raft and doesn't have a good racing brain. I've never expected him to be faultless, he's lucky he didn't kill someone in 2011. Even Niki Lauda called him out.

[@DangeloGedeon]

If you want convincing Tommo look at where Lewis finished in 2023 and that was P3. Fernando finished P4 and now both are struggling this year. When given a consistent machine they will be there. 2023 is the biggest sample size one can have when it comes to these old dogs having a good car underneath them.

[@DannyAQ]

There are drivers like Perez who are brilliant in a midfield car but don’t perform when it comes to competing at the top. I think Hamilton is the exact opposite. When he’s fighting for low points he ain’t all that almost like he isn’t bothered or motivated but when it comes to the top spots a quality shines through only verstappen can match. If Ferrari has a car to compete against redbull and/or McLaren he will be up there winning races 100%

[@TommoMcCluskey]

I guess when you're so used to winning and being up top, it must be quite jarring to fall back and know how to deal with it. I mean he's podiumed 57% of all GP he's participated in, and even when he was a rookie - he was in a championship fight.

[@skyazuldream]

true that also there are drivers like Verstappen and Alonso who will ruthlessly fight tooth and nail even at P13.

[@bl4xxun]

So, what Alons said in 2022 rings true then? "Lewis only knows how to drive and start in first."

[@codyfrance2537]

Sometimes drivers hit a rule set they just can't deal with. It happened to Schumacher, Vettel, Riccardo and plenty of others. There's no shame in it.

[@chrismaxwell1610]

Think he's just lost interest I think he's looking forward to a new start next season

[@Rhizix]

I've never really been a fan of Hamilton, but I'm convinced he is still able to perform if he gets a car that also performs. I really hope he gets that with next years Ferrari

[@HammerHeart3229]

Same here. I'm not a Hamilton fan neither but I reckon Hamilton is just going through the motions right now and is waiting until next year. Silverstone and Spa showed he can still go when the car is underneath him. Maybe Hamilton really is past it but we won't know for sure until next year. It's gonna be interesting to see how he stacks up against Leclerc considering Charles has had a really good season for the most part.

[@christianorsa]

He'll probably be better, but enough to beat Leclerc? Remains to be seen

[@m1-wrighty_ldn]

Well definitely in quali that’ll be a challenge because I rate Charles so much, nobody properly sends it like he does in my opinion, he’s crashed few times and I feel that’s hindered the way he pushes but Charles likes to find the absolute limits, and with Lewis obviously the race pace is gonna be what he thrives at. It’s kinda the same like with George, George is more consistent than Lewis in quali but when they both get a decent race car then Lewis edges him

[@lG-v09e]

Age is a matter but recency bias is strong people forget or don't know what Lewis achieved before F1

[@Samuel-p17]

​@@lG-v09eyeah, that was 15+ years again. Doesn't matter what he did before f1

[@jamtalawah2231]

​@@Samuel-p17How so?, considering other drivers from years gone by are still revered for their exploits.

[@lG-v09e]

@@Samuel-p17 It doesn't matter? It has no meaning? So for all you care he could've been an overweight Quake 3 player who never drove a car. 🤡 "Doesn't matter what he did before f1"

[@selder_7]

The segment on Raikkonen got me thinking. I’ve often heard that Pirrelli tyres force drivers to race with conservation in mind, so they’re rarely just flat out. That could be a factors in why Alonso and Hamilton can still be so good even as they age, because it’s only their flat out pace that’s diminishing over time. If next year they suddenly changed the tyre and the optimum way to drive was to do quali laps every lap, would Hamilton and Alonso suffer more than the younger drivers?

[@mattt525]

If assume yes. I think the tires are a big problem

[@blackbird1132]

i also agree

[@MMAli-rq8kd]

Race pace has always been more nuanced than Quali in F1. If not the tyres, fuel management, reliability, cooling the engine , cooling the brakes, track challenges, other drivers, etc ... There is never an era when you drive flat out from start to finish in one-lap pace. Race craft is always about management and compromise.

[@ronmastrio2798]

@@MMAli-rq8kd Unless you're Schumacher doing 4 pit stops.

[@TheNotoriousB.E.N.]

Maybe I’ll sound a bit biased with this but I don’t think drivers like Lewis, Fernando or Max have ‘primes’ per say. These types of drivers are just so naturally gifted at racing and ever since they’ve been in the sport they’ve shown what they’re capable of year on year despite machinery and all of that. Lewis has definitely had a drop off in performance no doubt which could be down to the new era of car, Mercedes focus shifting to George, not having someone like Angela by his side, etc, etc. I think when Lewis gets back into a comfortable environment and knows the car under him better he’ll be right up there still. We saw this at Silverstone, Belgium and we saw the same thing happen to Fernando after his move the Aston, consistent podium finishes and top qualifying performances

[@luizansounds]

Driver primes are absolutely a thing tho, the difference is how those drivers manage extending their prime and when they leave their prime they still manage to squeeze everything they can to keep going, Alonso clearly isnt in his prime anymore, but doesn't mean he isnt stil very close, and the new cars are more forgiving than the 05/06 nimble refueling cars Similar w lewis his out of prime shape is still better than everyone but lewis

[@Drakewyrm]

Absolutely wrong. Vettel level fell off a cliff and never recovered.

[@JanBanJoovi-ol1qv]

That’s like saying Mike Tyson could still win a WBO title. There’s a thin line between confidence and delusion. Real talk.

[@Choccolicious]

Tommo, you're one of my favorite KZbinrs. Massive respect for what you do. Your soundtracks are on par with the quality of your content 🫡 And I like how to play devil's advocate with your own takes.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Gracias! I don't think you can really stick behind your own opinion unless you try and understand all the other perspectives - that's how I like to think about sport anyway.

[@Choccolicious]

@TommoMcCluskey idk how you guess that my third language is Spanish but I'm here for it 🤣🤣

[@sethharvey1073]

THE GRAN TOURISMO SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC. Love that Tommo ❤🥹

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Nostalgia overload.

[@FH4Player6397]

*Gran Turismo

[@ronnocdog99]

Is it the main theme?

[@tomhutchins7495]

I believe he can and probably will return to very strong form if he has a competitive car. For most people, it’s very hard to recover that edge once you’ve been uncompetitive for a while, but even with all the struggles over the last couple of years he’s there whenever the car is good. That makes me think the mental aspects won’t be too bad. Where I’m less certain is what level he’ll be able to reach with a different car concept. A lot might depend on how familiar and comfortable that car is to his style.

[@UserICE11]

Absolutely he will, inshallah. The 5 races Merc were properly competitive. Canada P4 despite a load of mistakes on his side, Spain P3, Hungary P3, Silverstone P1 and Spa P1, yes George was dsq but Merc butchered Lewis stratergy in Spa. When he has the sniff of winning Lewis is absolutely still there. He will be more motivated, driven and at Ferrari, it’s our time again now 🙌

[@TommoMcCluskey]

I hope you're right, because prime Lewis vs prime Charles vs prime Max etc etc - that's a guaranteed worldie of a season.

[@venorando3672]

@@TommoMcCluskey I honestly don't think Hamilton is anywhere close to his prime. In my honest opinion, his prime overall was probably around 2018, especially around Singapore of that year. That said, his peak in terms of sheer pace was probably around 2008. I mean, when is the last time you've seen anyone win a race by more than 68 seconds? I think his overall quality has slowly been dropping since 2018, and that became especially evident when the new regulations dropped in 2022. That said, I think there is some truth to all points stated in this video, especially regarding the car, and the fact that Merc will obviously be prioritizing George and developing the car around him. Not only is that bad for Hamilton's driving style, but it will also obviously hurt his motivation, which we saw a glimpse of when the car was good in Britain and Spa, and Lewis was clearly the better Merc driver again. I think we'll see that side of Hamilton again at Ferrari, assuming the car is as competitive, if not more competitive than today in 2025 onwards.

[@Stealthassin135]

Spa was a win on merit. George was nowhere in that race and made a strategy call without considering the full picture, which inadvertently got him DSQ. Lewis also didn't receive any info from his pitwall on George's strat and was expecting a swap in places thinking George is running a different race.

[@michaelmasi9821]

So apparently Hamilton is finished but Alonso is constantly in his prime.

[@Jay-nk6dm]

Considering we’ve extensively talked about driving style, tires etc and how they work and how they’ve killed careers (like ricciardo) it’s actually incredible how Lewis is doing. He likes the V style, like ricciardo, making these regs against his style. Combine that with a bad rear end (his preference is strong rear) and unable to get fully on top of the tires, all the signs were against him. And yet, he is still either on par or ahead of his much younger (good) teammate. Hard to overstate how amazing he is performing

[@steveb_]

16:50 such a beauty this livery is!

[@quillian_5662]

We haven't seen Lewis in a competitive car for even half a season since 2021, and when we did, he was up there or winning the race. People have short memories and are too quick to write him off. Will he beat Leclerc over a whole season? We'll have to see. But let's not forget the times that Leclerc has crumbled under pressure.

[@raul-yd3ob]

Sometimes i ask myself if there is a good way to leave the sport, before the sport leaves you, you know, but then i dont think you can expect an athlete to leave at a „perfect“ time, they dedicated so much of their life to the sport and it can be hard to leave sometimes.

[@nabilromero-zurita7425]

His time to leave was after Abu dabhi 21 (or whatever is spelled). Now it’s too late! My respects to nico Rosberg!!!

[@Poussyeater-w5e]

​@@nabilromero-zurita7425that would have been the WORST time mate. Better would have been 2020 when he reached the pinnacle of the sport. If he retired in 2021 he'd always have that question at the back of his mind, "what would have happened if I just pushed through and stayed?"

[@ronald3836]

Ask Rosberg 🙂

[@ronald3836]

@@Poussyeater-w5e He could have retired a few races into 2022, when he knew what the Mercedes was like ;-)

[@JanBanJoovi-ol1qv]

Hamilton is holding on to fame and the hope that he will be able to surpass Schumacher’s championships. Don’t understand why he’s still no contented with the tie. He’a thinking that Ferrari has a dominant car to demolish everyone else just like the times when Mercedes dominated every team who are facing endless issues. He shifted from Mclaren to Mercedes as Mercedes has shown potential to dominate. He’s thinking the same now with Ferrari. But this time, Ferrari is not dominant (unlike during the times of Mercedes) and there are younger and better drivers than him around.

[@E_L_M_O_J]

In my opinion; George’s strength: spent several years driving a very lacklustre car, working out how he can get over the issues and get the best out of a bad car. Lewis’ strength: Absolutely rinsing every ounce of performance out of a great car. I think this is often (not always) reflected in their performances

[@1greenMitsi]

Also Russell's qualy strength is underrated, Ham has always had a strong qualy game but as age catches up to him Russel def has proven to have a clearedge

[@Poussyeater-w5e]

That's a great point. Russell has experience working with a subpar car, which he's been able to carry on to Mercedes and hence he's doing pretty good

[@samoht-k2g]

Hamilton and Alonso are both at the age where they can only add to their legacies as many great drivers are retired or slower by this age

[@danbruno5945]

Defo If if no more titles lewis can bag another circa 15 wins to his win record

[@selder_7]

A thing I thought about Russell back in 2022 was that he doesn’t have the stamina to be great for a whole season. With the Williams in 2021 he had a great run in the middle and then faded away towards the end, in 2022 he had that incredibly consistent start to the season that then faded after Silverstone. Looking at the race results this year he has been averaging around 6th when he finishes and it’s only really Hungary that stands out as being thrashed by Hamilton - so I think he’s ironed that out. That’ll be crucial in fighting for titles because what turned Verstappen into the best driver on the grid was the massive step up in consistency

[@FullTimeGaming360]

He has a thing about late stage crashes which keeps me on edge when he is doing well and tbh everytime I saw a red watching Brazil I was expecting Russell at somepoint but I don't think its all him. The Mercedes for the last 3 years has been very unpredictable on its rear end especially noticable with the recent crashes from Lewis and Russell where they are driving very conservatively in comparison to nearly every other driver but it just gives up grip and puts them in a barrier. I think Lewis will do better in the Ferrari if it is anything like this year as it will be predictabley good or bad unlike mercedes random it was 1 degree cooler so P1 or 1 degree warmer so dnf...

[@Bananananananannananananna]

Lewis is a ‘big game player’. When nothing is happening, hes like he is now. But as soon as he sniffs an opportunity to win or to beat someone he shows the world why he is a 7 time champ. Thats how he could be prime alonso in his rookie year, thats how he could pull back the tide in 2021 title when it was looking like a comfortable max win, thats how he won when ferrari were quicker at times. When he sees how good leclerc truly is, and when he sees the title within his reach, prime lewis is defo back.

[@brandonn1999]

Leclerc is now in his prime, this is going to be tough for Hamilton.

[@magdelinem6962]

They don't get it 🙈

[@derekbrunette222]

Leclerc needs to be more consistent

[@danbruno5945]

Its hard to say Lewis if he has car beneth him maybe has not lost much since 2020 maybe 10% slower maximum but will make up for it with better race craft

[@Kholmi.28]

I love the way this breakdown has been organised. I pretty much agree with most of the points made. Maybe the new environment will refresh Hamilton and having Leclerc as a teammate will push him, but I also don't think it's going to be great for him. I wish him the best though.

[@milseq]

Honestly a part of me is worried that the Merc was so horribly balanced that if Ferrari brings out a good car next year Lewis is wiping the floor with everybody.

[@joet6619]

You've nailed pretty much everything for me There Tommo. I think Charles is going to out perform him in Quali, without question, but Lewis is going to nail him in race pace and overall consistency next season. I'm actually almost willing to put money on Lewis winning his 8th (9th) World title with Ferrari Next year. 2025 is going to be a spicy one thats for sure.

[@Bramfly]

In reality Lewis has 7 WDC’s, fantastic driver.

[@IAmConorr]

I wouldn't be shocked if he did win it next year, seems like the perfect storm of Red Bull on the downwards and Norris not having the minerals (from what we've seen this season). I can easily see a scenario next season where you can win the WDC with 6/7 wins over the course of the season and the rest just being points picked up from regular podiums, kind of similar to what we've seen the second half of this season with the spread of different winners.

[@Redlingstein]

😂😂😂😂 your fantasy

[@Redlingstein]

@@IAmConorrRBR will be at the front and fast at start of 2025. They know the issue and with full new budget, they will come back in full force.

[@IAmConorr]

@@Redlingstein hopefully. I’d like to see max win a few more tbh

[@ingydegmar2060]

The fact he chose a fight with Leclerc in the first place shows his motivation is far from gone. Last year, when there was a chance to beat a RedBull, he blew Russel out of the water trying to do so. Leclerc v Hamilton is gonna be great if the car is a front row contender.

[@DR4eva84]

You doing a bad Arnold impression cements for me that you'd be a great dude to have a beer with. Great content as always.

[@robbie5181]

The qualifying similarity with Kimi is a really good point I dont think people talk about; reaction times are categorically slower, but it doesn't mean your overall style adaptability and race pace cant be maintained and keep Alonso and Hamilton up there.

[@Standard____]

There are only 2 proper S tier F1 content creators in my opinion, and those 2 are Tommo, and RPM. The levels of based that comes from this guy’s mouth is incredible, and this content is just so consistently good. I just wanted to show my appreciation real quick

[@solitaryclusterofneurons598]

19:01 That's a huge point and I've always believed it; his driving from 2010 onwards after he had enough maturation to get over the newbie mistakes, up until the end of 2016 with Rosberg not allowing him to sleep for a single second forcing him to push was where he was at his peak in my opinion; that era (or two eras really) was where we saw his Senna-esque fieriness out of necessity. 2017 onwards most of his key rivals (Rosberg, Alonso, Raikkonnen, Vettel, Webber, Massa, Kubica) were either gone, on their way out, or in slumps, and virtually all the newbies 2017 onwards are just billionaire's kids hence he never really needed to push himself too hard to dominate up until Verstappen came of age; it was a cakewalk for him and took up fashion to stimulate himself. It's the same reason Alonso can still thrive in his mid 40s. This is where the recent fans "iTs tHe cAr" arguments come from because they never saw the a Hamilton with anyone on his tier to push him, aside from the bitter racists who simply lose sleep at night because a black man is doing well.

[@thandomathebula8194]

i think if lewis is given a car to fight for wins in ‘26 and beyond he will have more than enough motivation and pace to win another championship. more than any driver, lewis performs especially well when he is really fired up (2020 comes to mind). a fast car and a new team will give him that push

[@ihavelargepores]

100% agree

[@timothybogle1461]

He might have that in 25. Ferrari looks like they can usurp McLaren next year

[@sujjo]

A lot of pundits are saying Lewis will be as close to Charles like Sainz was. However, over a full season Charles will beat him in the points. So that means a few race victories and a few pole positions are in order. I think if the Ferrari is good, it'll take him a few minutes in winter testing to adapt to the new systems and it will be the old quick Hamilton we know. I read a stat recently. Apparently Max and Charles are the only drivers in the Ground Effect era to bag atleast 1 grand slam. Nobody else has managed it.

[@Bananananananannananananna]

Pretty sure norris wouldve had danny ric not got the fastest lap in singapore.

[@johnshepherd007]

I really hope so. Epic battles with Max, Lando, Charles, Oscar en George. Can't wait

[@madjayax731]

Ocon is in the same page with Hamilton. His gap to Gasly grow significantly. They both dealing with consequences of divorces 'dump'. Not many have dignity like Ferrari or Ducati in MotoGP. They give equal treatments to drivers/riders leaving them.

[@rainerjohnsen]

its a shame how many drivers I want to win the title, Lando, George, Charles, Carlos, etc. but honestly a Lewis win at Ferrari would bring me to tears

[@MoptopTofer]

I think the situation at Mercedes tells us everything we need to know about the effects of motivation and the psychological aspect of F1. Both Lewis and George are insanely good drivers. Lewis needs no explanation and George is one of the fastest guys on the grid right now. George has every reason to push and give it his all right now and into the future with Merc. Lewis doesn't but he will have as much reason as George when he goes to Ferrari. If he still struggles then Lewis will probably be the first to put his hand up and admit it, but I think with a driver like Charles pushing him in a fresh environment where Fred will treat them equally, Lewis will be back and remind everyone why he has 7 WDCs.

[@dcrasta]

Based on start reaction times he’s still on the sharp edge of the knife. Give him a good car before we compare ‘versions’ of SLH. If he has a car he can believe in we see the best version .

[@XReflexian]

I just hope next season will be one where at least three teams are fighting for the championship with all six drivers having a chance to win it, now that would be a dream come true. I guess we will just have to wait and see ... Age also plays a role though whether you like it or not. Past the age of 30/35 your body starts to slowly decay.

[@gapistan2335]

Tommo and Gran Turismo bgm music name a more iconic duo 🤝🏾🤝🏾

[@simonchillwell]

In the hypothetical scenario where Russell wins those races in Silverstone and spa, it would actually be a even bigger swing of 64 points to Russell (assuming Hamilton p2 in both). Going from +50 Hamilton to +14 Russell

[@Hamfredlec]

Russell lost to Lewis in silverstone before the car issue…spa was a literal dsq which could only be saved if he had pitted so no the swing would have been 20 with russell finishing p3 both in spa and silverstone

[@gameofender4463]

@@simonchillwell Don’t forget if George also won Brazil too. 👀 He’d hypothetically have more wins this season than anyone except Max.

[@dylanburston7453]

Why bring it up? George lost Silverstone becasue he bottled it, and he probabaly would not have led if his car was legal in Spa

[@gameofender4463]

@@Hamfredlec You’re making that up. As George, allegedly according to the team, had car issues all race at Silverstone. And as for Spa, George had the clear air advantage which would of still won the race. Evidenced by the fact that Lewis kept going back through the first corner, showing that the dirty air was an issue.

[@gameofender4463]

@@dylanburston7453 George didn’t “bottle it”, the car was apparently deteriorating since the start of the race. Sounds like a Lewis fan/George hater trying to blame George for everything. Also, George would’ve still won regardless at Belgium as the clear air was incredibly important. As Lewis kept sliding at turn one at Spa behind George.

[@DawidSikora]

I can see Hamilton fighting for WDC. The problem will be his teammate. Leclerc is incredibly fast - and has the experience with Ferrari. Funfact about Lewis - next year will be the first time his whole F1 carreer when he drives a car without a Mercedes engine

[@gafowaty]

I hate narrative about mercedes being uncompetitive when they still are better than half of the grid

[@frengo96]

Half the grid is rubbish

[@user-tr1hx7jx4r]

but that was the narrative when Mclaren and Ferrari were 3/4 best car too

[@twanheijkoop6753]

Difference between beating formula b and still being the slowest in formula a

[@crazychimp1324]

Half the grid isn’t competing for WCC though and that’s what Mercedes want so they aren’t competitive

[@patrickwhite4449]

At the moment, Mercedes can’t win races. That doesn’t sound competitive to me

[@Sl1mch1ckens]

For me i think a part that plays a role in george being better at getting on top of the car when its not playing ball is the fact his recent history is driving the williams and as a williams fan ill be the first to admit our cars are not easy to drive vs lewis whose recent history is driving mostly good cars. And it does make sense to me atleast that this would play a small part in that. Im not saying lewis cant but it does make sense you would loose some of that ability if you havent had to do for several years, just like everything else in life.

[@aw4808]

5 mins in this already is one of your most considered analyses. Tommo- thanks so much for taking the time to speak some truth on this massive subject. Fwiw, I still think LH is the nearest competitor to MV. What’s great is they’re so similar in technique, but so different in background - yet both, in their own way, were hammered into success. No pun intended. Great stream bro.

[@samlewis3555]

One thing is for certain: Lewis’ autobiography is gonna be nuts.

[@philipbarton3456]

The video overall was solid. My only issue I had was the assumption George was in contention for the win. I disagree. A podium maybe, but a win no. George and Lewis have consistently been picking setups that oppose eachother. George more Quali, Lewis more race. George I think wouldn’t have been able to hold the pace up as long as Lewis did in the final dry stint of the race. He and Max would have been the ones battling out for 2nd/3rd. That said, you can’t assume Silverstone would have been a 100% 25 point swing George’s way vs Lewis, because that assumes instead George gets 0 points, same with Belgium, Lewis was ultimately 2nd, so even with George not having the 50 points, it wouldn’t have been a 50 point gap to Lewis otherwise.

[@jaybiegs]

When tommo was talking about kimi I realized how much I missed that metallic red on white with the green clover. What a beautiful car that was 😍

[@fixme.96]

He already a Legend, no need to prove anything, driving for Ferrari is just bonus for his career

[@GBGB000]

Leclerc will take Old Man Hamilton out to pasture

[@BenKuyt64]

I think Lewis didn't do well at Brazil because they expected a wet qualiy then a dryING race. They set the car up, expecting it to dry on Sunday, and it wasn't, so he was a sitting duck

[@williambaumert7726]

I think the truth is somewhere close to: 1. Lewis is getting older and, in turn, slower 2. Lewis will always be judged by such a high standard due to his previous accomplishments 3. The car is not good 4. Lewis is losing motivation at mercedes 5. George is a really good driver, making any dip in form apparent 6. Lewis is still elite and can be the best driver on the grid if he's comfortable on his day 7. Noone knows for sure

[@LouSassol69er]

A Russell, Verstappen and Leclerc championship would be gassy gas 🏎️⛽

[@bilalrasool1]

In 2014 Ricciardo was able to adapt to the new RedBull and Seb just couldn't. In 2022 Lando was able to adapt to the new McLaren and Ricciardo just couldn't. Most of the people who struggle during regulation change are older drivers (obviously not always). Piastri is beating Lando at times while Ricciardo couldn't come close, especially in the ground effect era. Lewis came into an F1 car for the first time was was competitive, George almost won in Sakhir 2020 with no preparation for that car, Liam Lawson was put in the AlphaTauri in 2023 with no warning and was as fast as Tsunoda while the more experienced Formula E champion DeVries couldn't keep up, Colapinto is able to almost match Alex who was a RedBull driver and has years of experience. Young drivers somehow are able to adapt so well to new cars.

[@ArkadiaII]

it's going to be 2007 all over again. Charles and Lewis finish equal on points and someone else takes the WDC. Although, that really reads, George and Antonelli finish equal on points and the new guy at Ferrari takes the WDC. So, could go either way?!

[@mobileapps1736]

Hamilton has a brand to protect. The car has won 3 races this year. Russell nearly won that Brazil race while LH was fumbling around at the back in the same car. Russell proved the car was a podium capable car. Lewis claimed the car was the "worst" he has driven. I would rather look at the proof then the claim. LH was able to fight with Max in 2021 because LH had by far the better car. Unless Ferrari give LH a car that had the sort of advantage he enjoyed from 2014-2021 I think LH would only beat Perez and Antonelli. The Problem is LH.

[@mitchdesertsquiddogaming]

Hope to see Lewis refreshed, revitalised and reborn once he goes to Ferrari. His 3 zombie years at Mercedes have been like his 4 zombie years in McLaren post 2008.

[@danbruno5945]

So true I think i hes wins an 8th then retire

[@robinfoster7597]

Lewis will be great at Ferrari.

[@shakir4969]

I think lewis is a done deal. While he can perform well if given a good car, he is not as sharp as he was. I think his move to Ferrari are the same with Ronaldo's move to Juventus previously. He brings in a huge amount of publicity which can increase the Ferrari brand. I dont think he will perform well but enough to be around the top 5

[@7thFEROX]

Lewis looked like Valtteri during Turkey 2020 last weekend :/ was jarring

[@GlobalNomadPete]

The best drivers have a sharper edge. That edge dulls over time, it still exists but it's not always as sharp when performance factors aren't good. This goes for Alonso and Hamilton.

[@TheChazas]

If Hamilton going to get just a sniff of potential car, he will perform. Just like Verstappen did in Brazil.

[@antonysnook4932]

I don't think Lewis will get back to the top form at Ferrari. When he won tittles his opponent was Max. A bad chassis has plagued him and Mercedes with pourposing and back problems coming out of it. But there are a lot of good drivers coming up and they are younger. He may do better but i don't think a tittle is in the cards. Hes old and past his prime.

[@YukDel]

Everyone has a rough go at it. He’s a racecar driver. We don’t know what’s going on. We only can assume but you cannot be doing in the same day. You’re doing good. Everything is working and later you just drop off the map. I never see those kind of and down in my life, even when I am stressful❤❤❤❤❤

[@vHiddenAce]

Your videos are top-notch, Tommo. Keep it up!

[@ashleyvmoore]

George had a lot of bad luck this year and still leads the championship against lewis. 50 points lost from in dnf and disqualification and still he is two points up and could have finished alot higher in brazil if the team listened to him

[@albmata14]

I think he won’t be prime but will be close. His peak was high enough that his post peak career in a good car will be top tier.

[@jammeraw355]

I've predicted that if he isn't in the title-fight next year, he's retiring. And my dad has said he struggles to disagree.

[@syco50]

Its going to be Seb all over again. Moments of brilliance. But ultimately dissapointing.

[@makkert]

Take away the nameplates and tell me what you see. He still is treated as F1 royalty due to his past accomplishments. His fans cling on to ‘mercedes sabotage him’ and ‘in ferrari he will be king again’. But no king rules forever. The quali pace is the first thing that will show signs of drop off when a driver is past his peek as its so much on the limit. LH can be good again in Ferrari but he will not outcompete Charles.

[@BenEllandHunt]

I don’t think the sudden drop in form from the change in car from ‘21 to ‘22 and beyond is a coincidence, he has a had a bad car since ‘22 and his performance shows. Russel came in to that car and is all he has known (apart from testing and that one race in 2020), so he doesn’t have a lot of comparison or bias’s to previous cars so I don’t think it’s entirely fair to compare them, especially with the amount of testing Lewis has done on his car as well. Lewis still has it, give him the car and we’ll forget this drop in form immediately.

[@Max_Flashheart]

Adrian Newey mentioned ground effect traps with data that fails on track with bouncing but looks amazing. When all the bouncing issues and ride height events happened. 1 million won't cut it.

[@blauekits7782]

Mercedes has had the strangest machines of the Neo-ground FX era so there's that, but if LH is not compatible with Ferrari machinery out the blocks then the H2H will definitely be worse against LEC compared to RUS, no question.

[@randar1969]

I hope it for his fans, and it would be exciting to watch. But personally i doubt it. He will be 40 next year. It's just get's harder if your older. Let's see if he can defeat Leclerq in points first over a season. That being said i think he will show a great performance, if he can atleast get close to Leclerq over a season. If he does take his 8th title, it would indeed grand him legendary GOAT status, and i am sure he will give it his all if his car make it possible.

[@joshimura1995]

He better bring his A-game next year - especially on Saturday - or Charles will send him into early retirement.

[@ItsAdamBe]

I'd like to think its a mix of all things. The way Toto spoke before the Silverstone GP, how they wanted 1 more win with Lewis and he happens to win.Big question/ conspiracy, are they really holding Lewis' car back, are they not giving all 100% to his car as he wont be there next year or is Lewis just over it. He got his home GB win, he 's ready to move on. Other than Lando, Lewis is my favourite driver and I love to see him win/ compete but you can tell he's over the merc.

[@bonelesswatermelon420]

I don't really have much to add about Lewis. Just wanted to shout out the brilliant use of Gran Turismo menu switching sounds as part of the Tommo sfx package.

[@kevinotoole3466]

Very balanced Tommo, well said!

[@fintonmainz7845]

Nobody beats the aging process. Lewis is not as good as he was 2 years ago but I do believe it is possible for him to get 95% of his mojo back at Ferrari.

[@RukashiVT]

First time checking out your channel, and I love it!

[@robbinknol3096]

Video idea look at the end of the season at each race and rank the first 4 teams from fastest to slowest of the 4 and take all the numbers and make a average of it and look who had the fastest car in the year

[@RaceNO.1]

love your content Tom, keep smashing it.. my thoughts are Lewis is probably pasts his best but given a good car hopefully can still compete for wins

[@chickenindabox3169]

17:45 if Istanbul park ever returns to the calendar, I know you'll be there lmaooo (I'll be there too) When Lewis retires, I hope he shared his wisdom with us

[@ranindadave7934]

Very well put together tommo. Unbiased POV

[@GigaK]

I’m a MV fan but I respect LH as a driver for what he’s done in the sport and it’s a mix of having a terrible car and motivation that are causing these results. He’s not washed by any means. If you get him in a top car he will win. Am I saying he would beat max if they both have a top car no I think max is still on his own league now but Lewis will at least give him a strong fight. Lewis would be every other driver in the grid that’s not Max for the title.

[@Pricelessmile]

I think he'll be exactly like Sainz. Slower on average with the occasional great weekend. Except the pressure of being in Ferrari and getting beaten will cause his pace to drop off like Vettel by the 2nd/3rd season and cause him to retire because he's getting demolished

[@andrewmelton2686]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@famingo4363]

Yea, I really doubt Lewis's ability to handle pressure when it comes from his own team, I don't think it's ever happened before

[@Pablo-g6z]

⁠Crymilton is done🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@royshavrick]

@@famingo4363because he's never done poorly enough to need that pressure.

[@famingo4363]

@@royshavrick the team plus circumstances matter too. He performed poorly in 2011 but had Dennis backing him throughout the time he was in McLaren. Then in Merc, the team had his back as he already won championships in their dominant car, before facing competition, so lesser pressure compared to someone like Vettel who was pretty much under pressure in his entire Ferrari stint. And now Lewis doesn't feel much pressure while performing poorly as he already resigned from Merc. We'll find out if he can handle the pressure next year since he will be in Ferrari out of all teams.

[@isakibrahim8316]

Got off work, about to rinse this subway and tommo new vid to watch😋

[@McLarenMercedes]

It will be up to the team. Provide him with a competitive car and he will do the rest.

[@adrian3355w]

I support Max and Red Bull, and it would be great to see Lewis return to great form with Ferrari. The battle between him and Leclerc will be very interesting.

[@1987jaffa]

The "50 point swing" means Lewis would be out of the points. But he inherited the win from p2, so that's a 7 point swing. Point still stands that George should be further ahead of lewis

[@mcbruggespeaksthetruth]

that would be true if lewis was out of the points in real life in spa for example. since he wasn’t and he scored the 25 points, they are added on his tally already so we don’t need to add any more points on for lewis. for george, however, we can add a full 25 so it would be a 25 point swing for him.

[@joepzenz]

Charles will beat him if reliability is pretty much the same.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Those who say Merc are sabotaging him are missing the point that the team _need_ both drivers to get as many points as possible. Yes, he is undoubtedly not being told _how_ certain upgrades work; in detail, that is (as Tommo pointed out as I finished writing this bit 😅). He's going to an opponent soon. But that's not a "Mercedes thing," it happens with every team. Lewis has shown that when the stars align, he still has the talent we've enjoyed watching for nearly 20 years! If the Ferrari suits him next year, watch him go for that 8th championship. I believe he still has it in him to do it, but only if the car's characteristics gel with his tastes. As drivers age, they tend to be less adjustable in their driving style - Danny Ric, anyone? And he's definitely not the only other older driver that I've seen do precisely the same thing. I'm hoping that there will be at least 4 drivers fighting for next year's championship - including Lewis - and I hope they all have cars that suit them. As to who wins, it's going to be the best team as well as the best driver of 2025.

[@MichaelEilers]

The regulations are the key here. They have been PURPOSELY tailored to SPECIFICALLY slow down Lewis’s driving style and the hardware he was driving. He and Mercedes were perceived as being so dominant that the sport - guided by Bernie - moved to shut him down. It’s not a conspiracy theory, it was deliberate and systematic. The move to 50/50 drivetrains is designed to flush veteran and dominant drivers right out of the sport.

[@dalrobert555]

No way, this guy can’t drive a shit car. Alonso can, verstrapen can. This guy is obviously a good driver, but no way is he a great driver.

[@oliverhardin1413]

Just another opinion on the internet, but I agree wholeheartedly now after seeing lando struggle in a championship fight that George wins in a head to head with max more often then lando because while their pace and skill might be similar I think Lando’s time as an overachieving youngster in the midfield has stunted his ceiling, the last few centimeters of growth that make great drivers champions in close battles over a season. I think George always having to show he’s as good a Lewis his whole career has already prepared him for the pressure and would hypothetically help him win in a fight like lando and max’s rn

[@ImNotHereEither]

A driver with 7 WC’s, two wins this season, in the fourth best car, and he’s washed? In a few months? Prime Lewis? No, of course not. He just has to be consistently scoring points in 2025. I have no doubt with the right car he could be racking them up. Whether it’s enough to win the title? Let’s see. But I can’t imagine him not being a factor and maybe it’s enough to be in the mix and have a chance to rely on his craft and not raw speed.

[@stevenjoseph6048]

Depends on the car characteristics really. We've seen how these ground effects cars has nerfed drivers such as Checo, Ricciardo and some others. Hamilton qualifying under these regs has gotten worse as I believe Shovlin or Allison said that a while ago. Hamilton and Leclerc driving style is similar to a degree so perhaps Lewis and Ferrari will work out well

[@Iamtheilluminati]

I think these regs have helped drivers that are early brakers compared to late brakers

[@Yosser70]

Oh give over 🙄 There’s no drop in form, it’s his motivation that’s gone. He’s a 7 time world champion, do you think he’s going to give his all for 5th or 6th, of course not. Should he not fight for places because that’s what he’s paid for, no, not at all, if the team can’t provide a car he can be competitive in then there’s no point for him. Assuming Ferrari give him a good car, he’ll be back giving 100% and winning races next year.