2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Daniel Moxon)
Jeremy Clarkson believes Lewis Hamilton is "past his prime" as he hailed Max Verstappen as possibly the best Formula 1 racer ever. Clarkson found fame as a motoring journalist through presenting programmes like Top Gear and The Grand Tour . And, as well as road cars, he also loves motorsport and has been a keen follower of F1 for decades.
He rarely shies away from giving his opinions on the latest developments in the sport. And he has not done so after watching a dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix in which Verstappen drove from 17th on the grid to win the race and all-but secure his status as a four-time champion. Writing in his Sun column, Clarkson said: "We learned two important things during last weekend's Grand Prix in Brazil.
First of all, Max Verstappen is one of the all-time greats. He may even be the greatest driver we have ever seen." Clarkson's second learning from the race was related to Hamilton, who did not fare anywhere near as well at Interlagos.
It was a wretched weekend for him as first he suffered a second Q1 exit in three Grand Prix qualifying sessions and went on to struggle for pace in the race. In the end, he limped to 10th place to score a single point. But while Hamilton complained about how difficult his Mercedes machine was to drive on the bumpy Sao Paulo track, Clarkson feels the most likely explanation is that the 39-year-old may no longer be at the peak of his powers.
He wrote: "Second, Lewis Hamilton is past his prime. He blamed his car for his tail-end qualifying session but his team-mate, George Russell , was on the front row. "Of course, it is possible that because Lewis is moving to Ferrari next year, the team are filling his fuel tank with lemon barley water instead of petrol.
But that seems unlikely. It is far more probable that he is now too old." Russell finished fourth in the race after qualifying second, having led for some time following a first-lap jump on pole-sitter Lando Norris .
But Mercedes overruled him and ordered him to pit for fresh tyres just a few laps before the race was red-flagged following a hefty Franco Colapinto crash which allowed others to change rubber without losing track position. Verstappen was one of those who benefitted, as were the two Alpine drivers who joined the Dutchman on the podium. Russell did rise to sixth in the drivers' championship, though, one place ahead of Hamilton who, if he remains seventh by the end of the year, will have ended his Mercedes career with his worst ever finish in the standings.
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