“Begrip me niet verkeerd: ik zeg niet dat Lewis langzamer wordt, alleen dat hij niet meer sneller wordt,” Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen stated regarding Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s career trajectory, as GPFans reported ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend.
The remarks open a fresh debate over driver longevity in Formula 1 as the 2025 season heads into its final stretch. Verstappen, speaking to Bild Sport, examined how age influences performance at the pinnacle of motorsport, contrasting Hamilton’s current status with the rapid rise of twenty-year-old championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Verstappen Draws Age Contrast Between Hamilton and Antonelli
The reigning world champion separated the concepts of plateauing and declining performance when assessing Hamilton. While Verstappen noted that the British veteran is unlikely to gain further speed at his current age, he maintained that the Ferrari driver is not losing his baseline capability.
Max Verstappen P1, Lewis Hamilton P2.First time qualifying 1-2 in that order for a Grand Prix since… 2021 Abu Dhabi. pic.twitter.com/D9ayKkRaWp
In November of the previous year, Verstappen pointed out in a separate interview that Hamilton’s age posed a relative disadvantage compared to his teammate, Charles Leclerc. That assessment arrives alongside a strong second campaign for Hamilton in Italian service. After inking a contract in 2025 that binds him to the Maranello squad through at least the end of 2027, Hamilton sits third in the world championship with 241 points following a difficult initial year with Scuderia Ferrari that yielded 156 points.
Hamilton has collected six podium finishes this season, highlighted by a victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya—his first win in Ferrari red. Most recently, the British driver finished fourth at the Circuit of the Americas during the United States Grand Prix. Verstappen holds fourth place in the standings with 236 points, trailing Hamilton by five points and sitting just ahead of Leclerc, who has 233 points.
Conversely, Verstappen pointed to the upward trajectory of Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. The twenty-year-old Italian paces the championship with 365 points, holding a commanding advantage over teammate George Russell, who sits second with 242 points. Antonelli converted pole position into victory in Austin last weekend, adding to earlier wins in Monaco and the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
“Bij Kimi ligt dat anders. Daar zit nog veel meer in,” Verstappen said of the young leader, anticipating that Antonelli will make another performance step forward by 2027, as GPFans reported.
Hamilton Responds to Career Longevity and the 2030 Horizon
Addressing media gathered in Mexico ahead of the weekend, Hamilton pushed back against questions regarding his athletic ceiling, pointing to the recently announced coverage of a future Grand Prix in Rwanda planned for the end of the decade. With that event slated for no earlier than 2030—when Hamilton would reach age 45—the seven-time world champion indicated he is open to racing well into the 2030s. Hamilton had previously indicated he did not wish to leave Formula 1 before participating in a Grand Prix in Africa, and the 41-year-old driver sees his long-held dream fulfilled with the announcement of a Grand Prix in Rwanda.
“Allereerst hebben jullie hier in 70 jaar nooit iemand zoals ik gehad. Ik heb het gevoel dat ik anders gebouwd ben,” Hamilton told reporters, as documented by Motorsport.com. Acknowledging inevitable age-related challenges, Hamilton challenged assumptions about declining reaction times, citing data from recent race weekends.
“Heb je mijn reactie in de vorige race gezien? Mijn reactie is sneller dan die van sommige van de jongste mensen hier,” Hamilton stated, per GP33. The Ferrari driver emphasized that he remains fully committed to the sacrifices required to compete at the elite level, though he noted he would step away if his performance levels began to dip. Er zijn dus veel middelen die je kunt gebruiken om jezelf en je geest scherp te houden, zolang je bereid bent alles op te offeren, en dat ben ik op dit moment,
Hamilton added.
Hamilton also referenced Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso—who is 45 and under contract for 2027—as proof that drivers can maintain competitiveness deep into their fourth and fifth decades. The physical and competitive test continues this weekend as the Formula 1 paddock begins free practice sessions for the Mexico City Grand Prix.
