Nigel Mansell, the 1992 F1 World Champion, has thrown his weight behind Lewis Hamilton's pursuit of an eighth title with Ferrari, insisting age won’t be a factor for the Briton when he joins the Scuderia in 2025 at 40.
F1 is still buzzing with the news last Friday of Hamilton’s future transfer to the House of Maranello.
While speculation is rampant about how the Mercedes driver will fare against future teammate Charles Leclerc, the sensational move has also sparked a debate about whether it will come too late in Hamilton’s career for the seven-time F1 world champion.
But Mansell, who was 39 when he won the world title with Williams in 1992, disregards age concerns and says motivation is a more important factor.
“People are saying Lewis is now too old,” Mansell told BBC Sport. “At 39? No. I won my championship at 39 and I could have gone on, but the politics got involved.
“But Lewis, if he’s motivated, he’s got several, if not a lot more years left, I think it’s just fantastic.”
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Fernando Alonso's level of performance in F1 last season at 42 with Aston Martin further strengthens Mansell's point.
Looking towards the future, the latter is expecting some titanic battles between Hamilton, Verstappen and others.
“Yes, Lewis can do it, but I’m sure Max will do everything he can to stop him,” Mansell added. “And I’m sure Ferrari this next year will do everything they can to stop him.
“But I think we’ve got a great Formula 1 season coming up, and it certainly looks like we’re going to have an exciting one in 2025.”
In 2025, Hamilton will become the first Englishman to race for Ferrari since Mansell in 1989. The latter quickly won the hearts of the Tifosi thanks to his fiery racing style that earned him the nickname ‘Il Leone’.
During his two -year stint with Ferrari, Mansell claimed three wins with the Scuderia.
“I think it’s fantastic for the fans and it’s incredibly dynamic,” he said, commenting on Hamilton’s prospects.
“I think for Lewis, he’ll probably go on and finish his career with Ferrari, it’s like a dream come true for him, I would imagine, because going to Ferrari is everything.”
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