Rosberg Warns Hamilton’s Ferrari Struggles Tarnish Legacy

Former champion Nico Rosberg watches with dismay as his former teammate Lewis Hamilton struggles at Ferrari. After a disappointing season, the seven-time world champion has taken a particularly hard fall in the last Grands Prix; in the run-up to the final race in Abu Dhabi, he has finished outside the points twice in a row and qualified outside the top fifteen three times in succession. Rosberg warns that this season could tarnish Hamilton’s otherwise illustrious career.

“It’s incredible, isn’t it? It’s getting worse every week,” says Nico Rosberg, now a commentator, in a broadcast on Sky Sports. “You can just see how uncomfortable he feels in the car. When have we ever seen Lewis Hamilton spin during a normal lap in a free practice?” During FP3 in Abu Dhabi, the 40-year-old Brit crashed in the ninth corner. “We’ve never seen anything like this in his entire career. And now, at Ferrari, he’s making multiple mistakes. He just doesn’t feel comfortable with that car.”

A ‘Stain on His Legacy’

Rosberg fears that Hamilton’s difficult debut with Ferrari could damage his reputation. “It’s been a terrible season for him, and moreover, not a dignified way to end his career,” says the German. He paints a bleak picture: “Hamilton is being beaten by his teammate, struggling to make it into Q2, and sliding off the track without clear reason. It can hardly get worse; it’s a real nightmare. Personally, he will probably feel this even more heavily than we can see from the outside. He is the best, there is no arguing about that, but this season leaves a stain on his legacy.”

Hamilton has passed the age of forty and according to Rosberg, his age is now playing a role. “Lewis is almost 41,” he said. “We know he’s not going to get faster; time is not on his side.” He pointed to the competition from a new generation of top drivers. “These young talents of the next generation are 26, 27 years old, in top form and already rich in experience.” Comparisons with Fernando Alonso, who still looks competitive at the age of 44, are dismissed by Rosberg. “Fernando doesn’t have a teammate of the caliber of Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, or Lando Norris. Therefore, it’s difficult to fairly assess his performance.”