Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko said Lewis Hamilton won’t be able to keep up with his current performance for much longer.
The Austrian admitted that Hamilton’s age will come into play when fighting Max Verstappen – or other young drivers – for the championship.
Hamilton had fought a really tense battle with Verstappen throughout the 2021 Formula 1 season and was unable to claim the championship in the final battle at Abu Dhabi. Despite this, Marko recognized the seven-time world champion did a great job in the second half of the year.
“He worked a great second half of the season,” he said.
“I can’t imagine that he can continue to drive at this high level for much longer,” he added.
“He has reached his peak level now, but at some point, his age will come into play.
“Max is a World Champion now and will only get stronger.”
There were multiple reports after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix controversy that Hamilton would leave Formula 1. However, that turned out to be untrue, and the British driver said there is no reason for him to leave.
” I love what I do. I love being a part of a team. I love working with – and I’ve said it so many times – everyone towards a common goal. And I feel at my best, so why do I need to leave?
“Of course, dealing with… There are so many different ways you can refocus and get recentred, and I would say this one was one of the best that I’ve experienced.”