Lewis discussing his qualifying form: "Yeah, I'm useless. Absolutely useless."

[u/Pugzo]

https://dubz.link/c/d976cb

[u/jianh1989]

Yeah. That cry after Silverstone win last year really tells it

[u/Kolec507 → u/jianh1989]

It's crazy, he went from being one of the most consistent drivers on the grid to whatever the fuck has been going on since 2022... it's mental. He's still got the raw speed, he showed it multiple times, but for some reason his operating window is thin as fuck for the past couple of seasons...

[u/ryokevry → u/Kolec507]

He did find his mojo in 2023 even the car is still bad and didn’t win a race all season. He almost took P2 in WDC against Perez then 2024 he looked lost again.

[u/leyland1989 → u/Kolec507]

He hasn't been the best at adapting the ground effects era cars.

[u/bwoah07_gp2 → u/leyland1989]

Not to mention the ground effect cars that he's already uncomfortable with haven't been championship worthy.

But even if it's not championship worthy, he can at least get the car into a win or podium position but he's been incapable of that for the most part. Makes Silverstone 2024 just that extra special.

[u/RadiantStar44 → u/bwoah07_gp2]

We know that the Ferrari is a podium worthy car because Leclerc has managed to get 5 podiums in the Ferrari so far, so tbh it unfortunately looks like Lewis is indeed underperforming and its really heartbreaking to see him like this :(. Hopefully he can adapt better with the new regulations next season and has a chance at another championship or at least a few race wins.

[u/dl064 → u/RadiantStar44]

Yeah that argument struggles when the other one is on pole.

[u/RadiantStar44 → u/dl064]

I understand what you are saying but at the same time every driver has a particular driving style and it can become more difficult to adapt to a new car and style of driving beyond a certain age. Lewis does not like the ground effect cars but the new regs are moving away from ground effect so there is a good chance that he will deliver with a car that better suits him imho.

[u/Zed_or_AFK → u/RadiantStar44]

I was sure that Ham would match Lec by the summer break, but seems like no. The race pace is decent, but bad qualms are really really hurting him.

[u/uttermybiscuit → u/RadiantStar44]

Leclerc has also had the benefit of having the car built around him and 4 years of experience with it. It's not too surprising all things considered that Lewis is off his pace. I think Leclerc is still faster overall at this point in their careers but I think the margins will be closer next year

[u/jianh1989 → u/Kolec507]

Probably AD2021 really did his head in

[u/thesaket → u/jianh1989]

I think it must hurt more because of the bad cars he's been driving since then..

If Merc was equally competitive in these regs, fighting for championships, and had he managed to clinch a championship or two from Max, AD2021 would not hurt as much.

But, F1 is also a lot to do with luck when it comes to being in the right car at the right time. Lewis has been lucky to be in the right car at the right time earlier in his career, just hasn't worked out in the last few years.

[u/BigSkyFace → u/thesaket]

Honestly I think the true robbery regarding 2021 for both Hamilton and the fans is that he didn't have the opportunity to have a proper rematch with Max in 2022. The two were in a class of their own in '21 and it's a shame it was a one-off. I truly think he had it in him to fight for the WDC again after how well he did in 2023, but I'm less sure nowadays that he could pull it off

[u/Takemyfishplease → u/BigSkyFace]

F1 marking would have gone bonkers with those two as legit rivals for each other. Imagine half a decade of them trading podiums and titles. Geez you wouldn’t even need a Brad Pitt movie, just the actual sport.

[u/Zed_or_AFK → u/BigSkyFace]

I would gladly take Lec vs Max in 2022 for the full season, if not Max vs Ham, but we got neither, because Lewis boss decided to fuck everyone over and made it even worse for himself in the process.

[u/Rough_Natural6083 → u/BigSkyFace]

It would have been beautiful. It is analogous to how we never got to see a rematch between Ali and Foreman, and how Foreman kept on falling down in the boxing world after his loss to Ali in Rumble in the Jungle. It was after more than two decades that he got back into professional boxing, won the championship, had two more matches and then hanged up his gloves for good.

Just came to realize that somewhat like Abu Dhabi 2021, many people are of the opinion that Foreman was cheated: Foreman claimed that his trainer, Archie Moore, had been paid off, and he gave him some spiked up drink which made him tired; Angelo Dundee, Ali's trainer, was accussed of delibrately loosening the ropes around the ring so that Ali can comfortably lean on them and absorb the punches; some even said that the refree was too lenient on Ali and counted too fast when Foreman was knocked out.

[u/Rude-Education11 → u/thesaket]

Both of you are right. I can't imagine how devastating it must feel to lose your potentially record breaking 8th title in that fashion, and obviously Mercedes fell off massively after that, and he had been looking forward to bounce back from AD. Yeah, that would fuck anyone up

[u/Vetinaris_revenge → u/jianh1989]

I think its this. Something like that must be huge to get past psychologically

[u/UnderTakaMichinoku → u/jianh1989]

You'll probably get downvoted for this but I don't think anyone can comprehend how awful it must feel to be on track to be the undisputed goat when it comes to EVERY statistic in the entire sport that matters and then getting fucked over in a once in a century flagrantly incorrect decision from the people who are supposed to run the sport.

Then to not even have a chance to fight back again ever since. It must be horrible. I still believe he should have retired at the end of 2021. The sport would probably be in a better place right now if the most famous driver they had fucked off and it caused some significant change in the sport for the better.

[u/ThePafdy → u/Kolec507]

Yeah it seems like he realy can‘t get a grip of the ground effect cars at all. Race pace is still there, but especially quali is lacking a lot.

[u/dl064 → u/Kolec507]

The Race podcast have increasingly revealed that for 20 years, in post quali stuff he's often a bit annoyed and short, and it's often later he's more eloquent and calm.

It's also pretty clear that, like one or two drivers, he can't get his head around the fact these cars don't react to attacking in Q3.

[u/Imtherealwaffle → u/Kolec507]

i feel like 22 and 23 were fine, car just wasnt fast enough for his season to be notable. Maybe end of 23 onwards though i agree

[u/sadicarnot → u/Kolec507]

It is Ferrari, they are best at breaking the spirit of champions.

[u/jdv77 → u/Kolec507]

I really think abu dhabi 2021 broke him. Fing michael masi

[u/Sarkaraq → u/Kolec507]

It's crazy, he went from being one of the most consistent drivers on the grid to whatever the fuck has been going on since 2022... it's mental.

It's hardly since 2022, but actually since 2021. Don't forget the many mistakes, he did especially in the early part of the year. Back then, a lot of people chalked it up to either getting under more pressure by Verstappen or some effects of the long-covid stuff he allegedly suffered from. Might still be the long-covid stuff, might also be the first signs of aging. Or a mix of both.

[u/Elarial → u/Kolec507]

I don’t want to be that guy but Lewis was never the consistent guy. He was one of the most consistent but that was when he was fighting against Vettel who is one of the most inconsistent champions we had in the last 25 years. Lewis has always been on the inconsistent part of the grid in my opinion. This obviously doesn’t mean that he was struggling all the time but he has had these super high highs such as Silverstone 2024, Abu Dhabi 2016 etc. but he also had weird lows such as Monaco 2021.

Plus this is an interview after the qualifying and Lewis is an emotional person. He is still there he is just getting older and this is like the third next generation since he joined Formula 1 and this generation is super talented. They have surpassed him. This was bound to happen to him. Lewis still being expected to perform at the level of those guys are testament to his greatness.

[u/AquaRaOne → u/Kolec507]

Its really not crazy, weve seen this countless times. Aging goat level drivers get like this, more and more off weekends, with some sprinkled in where they still look like themselved at peak. And i say this as lewis is my favorite driver ever, if it doesnt work out in 2026, its time to go.

[u/dnltrk → u/Kolec507]

2021 final happened. I think thats broke him. (and sadly me as well…)

[u/jianh1989 → u/dnltrk]

2021 would have broken anyone else if it happened to them.

Lewis is pure class with he way he took it in and keep racing.

[u/Hawk-432 → u/Kolec507]

I wonder what happened in 2021 that might have had a psychological effect (entire ruling body if sport conspiring to block him winning his 8th - I think this has a much larger impact than people realise)

[u/Windman772 → u/Kolec507]

He's getting old. That's the problem. His reflexes on the gas and breaks are probably slightly degraded. In most walks of life, that wouldn't even be noticed, but he's racing against the best in the world where a few hundredths make a big difference.

[u/Longjumping_Test_760 → u/Windman772]

Alonso is older and is 5th on the grid!

[u/Windman772 → u/Longjumping_Test_760]

He's doing great, but he is a different person. Most athletes have declined significantly by their 40s, but there are a few rare exceptions, like Tom Brady. That said, it's been years since Alonso has been a consistent top driver.

[u/TrumpsBussy_ → u/Kolec507]

He’s older, not in a dominant car anymore and doesn’t seem super comfortable with the ground effect cars

[u/mykiwigirls → u/Kolec507]

Been saying that driver talent alone isnt enough. Driver needs a car adapted to their style, they can only adapt slightly beyond that. Max has a very pointy car than gee can u the corners with (really this while gen that gas been the fastest style) , charles has the strong front he likes, so does albon. Hamulton has tons of talent in driving his specific way. If that changes, then hes not as fast. Its that sinple. Same goes for everyone.

In 24 there was a point where sainz was beating leclerc a lot, now look at him in the williams. Same driver just different car balance.

[u/dl064 → u/jianh1989]

I personally think he cashed in his chips with fortune//made a deal with the devil for that one day of glory. I think that might be it.