Nico Rosberg doubts if 40-year-old Hamilton can maintain peak pace

2016 world champion Nico Rosberg has expressed doubts that his former team-mate Lewis Hamilton may be experiencing a decline in form due to age. This comes after the seven-time world champion turned 40 in early 2025.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Rosberg analyzed Hamilton's 2025 season so far, claiming it was a continuation of the form he had during his final year at Mercedes.

"It's kind of a continuation of his form from last year, where even then there was a noticeable slight decline. George was better and was beating him in Mercedes. Now it's continuing a bit. He's missing a bit here and there, especially when it comes to the final pace in qualifying," said Rosberg.

"We know that Charles is an outstanding qualifier, so Lewis has to find something else in that segment. Even if he is the greatest of all time, at some point there will be a slight slowdown - it has to do with age," he believes.

"And when you're 40, that's going to happen sooner rather than later. It's just a matter of whether that time has come when you start to slow down a little bit."

"Even a tenth makes a huge difference in this sport, especially when you're competing against some of the best from the new generation, like Charles Leclerc, who is considered one of the best qualifiers at all," added the German.

As the second-oldest driver on the grid, behind 43-year-old Fernando Alonso, Hamilton has been fighting this perception for some time. During an interview with Time magazine earlier this year, he addressed concerns that his age might prevent him from succeeding in the sport.

"Old age is a state of mind," Hamilton said. "Of course the body ages. But I will never be old."

"Don't ever compare me to anyone else. I'm the first and only black driver ever to be in this sport. I'm built differently. I've been through a lot. I've had my own path. You can't compare me to other 40-year-olds, either current or former Formula 1 drivers. Because they're not like me. I'm hungry, motivated, I don't have a wife or kids. I'm focused on one thing - and that's winning. That's my number one priority."

Adaptation

Adaptation to the new team required some time. However, it is worth noting that Leclerc also had difficulties with the SF25 car compared to last year's 2024 car. After fighting directly with McLaren in the Constructors' Championship last season, the Montenegrin explained that he had to change his driving style to adapt to the behavior of the SF25.

“It’s always very difficult to compare drivers’ feelings, because if you don’t feel comfortable in the car, there’s always something you struggle with more than the other driver, and that’s why you can’t be fast,” said Leclerc.

“For my part, this year we went in quite extreme directions in terms of set-up, to get more out of the car, so I feel like I’m changing my driving style quite a bit to adapt to the new demands of this car.”

“However, it’s possible that considering that I’ve been at Ferrari for seven years, there are things that come very naturally to me now, after so much time with it, that I might not even be aware of – although I feel like I’m driving quite differently this year, because this car requires a different set-up and a different driving style.”