Hamilton at 40: ‘Don’t ever compare me to anyone’

Lewis Hamilton isn’t just racing against the clock – he’s rewriting the rulebook on what it means to be a Formula 1 driver at 40.

As he straps into his Ferrari’s cockpit for 2025, the seven-time champ scoffs at the notion that age is his kryptonite, arguing that his one-of-a-kind journey in the sport sets him apart from every driver who’s ever gripped a steering wheel.

With a fire in his belly and a legacy like no other, Hamilton’s betting his unique DNA – not the candles on his cake – will keep him in the hunt for that elusive eighth title.

The road to Maranello was paved with a Mercedes exit clause he didn’t hesitate to trigger, announced on February 1, 2024, after a one-year deal with the Brackely squad, with an optional second, left the door ajar.

Toto Wolff, his boss of 12 years, had mused about “shelf life” and “cognitive sharpness” in the book ‘Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane’, as he justified Hamilton’s one-year deal while hinting at a generational shift that ushered in 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Hamilton didn’t blink. He’s not here to fade out – he’s here to prove that his singular story trumps any stopwatch ticking toward retirement.

In Bahrain last week, during pre-season testing, Scuderia boss Fred Vasseur couldn’t stop raving about Hamilton’s rookie-like zeal, a spark reignited after a decade in silver.

Sure, 2024 was a bruising year – outqualified by George Russell 24-6 in 30 sessions – but Hamilton’s race pace held firm, and his hunger? Unmatched.

With McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes set to slug it out in a 2025 dogfight, he’s not just chasing history – he’s daring it to keep up.

A Breed Apart

Hamilton’s got no patience for comparisons, and he let Time Magazine know it in an in-depth interview with the renowned publication.

“Don’t ever compare me to anybody else,” he said. “I’m the first and only black driver that’s ever been in this sport. I’m built different. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve had my own journey.”

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No cookie-cutter 40-year-old here – this is a man who’s shattered ceilings and rewritten records, from his karting days to F1’s pinnacle.

He doubled down: “You can’t compare me to another 40-year-old, past or present, Formula 1 driver in history. Because they are nothing like me.”

History backs him up – F1’s over-40 club is a ghost town. Nigel Mansell snagged a win at 41 in 1994, and Michael Schumacher nabbed a pole at 43 in 2012 (lost to a penalty), but Hamilton’s profile? Uncharted.

“I’m hungry, driven, don’t have a wife and kids,” he said. “I’m focused on one thing, and that’s winning. That’s my No. 1 priority.”

Distractions? None. Drive? Limitless.

Age Is Just a Number

Wolff’s “shelf life” jab might’ve stung lesser souls, but Hamilton brushed it off like dust on his visor.

He’s not buying the idea that 40’s a finish line – not when Fernando Alonso’s still tearing it up at 43 for Aston Martin, albeit with a teammate too erratic to gauge any fade.

Hamilton’s different, though. His resume’s a stat sheet of firsts, and his Ferrari switch is a jolt of adrenaline.

Vasseur saw it in Bahrain: a veteran with the spark of a newbie, hungry to prove 2024’s qualifying slump was a blip, not a decline.

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The stats say he’s F1’s GOAT – most wins, most poles – but doubters linger. Can he outpace McLaren’s juggernaut, Red Bull’s precision, and his old Mercedes crew?

Hamilton is crystal clear on the mission.

“I know exactly where the North Star is,” he declared. “I know where I need to go, I know how to get there.

“It’s far, and it’s going to be tough to get there, but I know I’ve got all the ingredients, all the people, an amazing team around me.

“So it’s how much you want it. And I can’t express to you how much I want it.”

• Read also: Hamilton recalls ‘holy shit’ moment that sealed his Ferrari fate

That eighth title’s a beacon, and he’s locked on. Retirement? Not even a speck on Hamilton’s horizon.

“What I can tell you is, retirement is nowhere on my radar,” he said. “I could be here until I’m 50, who knows?”

It’s a bold flex, but he’s got the creds – and the will – to back it. Age might slow others, but Hamilton’s built a career on defying the norm.

Ferrari is his new playground, and with a grid tighter than ever, he’s not just racing rivals – he’s racing time itself, armed with a profile no one’s matched and a hunger that won’t quit.

Fifty? Bring it on.

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