Lewis Hamilton issued Michael Schumacher warning as struggles raise legitimate question

Exclusive: Former Formula 1 prima David Coulthard assesses Lewis Hamilton's determination to Ferrari successful the discourse of his qualifying struggles this play and suggestions of decline

Questions implicit Lewis Hamilton's evident diminution are "legitimate", David Coulthard believes.

And the British erstwhile F1 prima thinks we volition soon spot whether the seven-time champ inactive has what it takes erstwhile compared to caller Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc adjacent year. Hamilton has been trounced by Mercedes rival George Russell successful qualifying this play and, astatine Ferrari, volition spell up against arguably the quickest antheral implicit 1 thigh connected the grid successful Leclerc.

"Lewis is rolling the dice again with Ferrari," Coulthard told Mirror Sport. "It whitethorn good pb to a rejuvenation of show and a combat for the world championship. But it is going to beryllium challenging due to the fact that helium has got [to beat] a precise accelerated Charles Leclerc."

Hamilton's full of 104 vocation rod positions is the all-time F1 record, but helium is the archetypal to admit helium has struggled for one-lap gait this year. And Coulthard thinks a changeable astatine an eighth rubric is disconnected the array unless helium tin get backmost to his champion connected a Saturday.

He said: "The cardinal constituent of each of the greats implicit the past of clip has been to beryllium capable to suffice and race. And if Lewis, astatine 40 years old, has mislaid a gait successful footballing terms, past helium whitethorn good conflict to bushed Charles implicit the people of a year.

"That is simply a morganatic question that anyone should beryllium asking, but it is for him to amusement us. It is not astir america putting him down and saying helium cannot bash it, due to the fact that it is successful his hands. All of these guys person it successful their ain hands to signifier their ain future."

The erstwhile McLaren and Red Bull racer went connected to usage Michael Schumacher arsenic an illustration to his informing that determination is nary warrant of a fairytale ending to Hamilton's career. Schumacher came retired of status to thrust for Mercedes for 3 seasons but did not triumph a contention successful that time.

Coulthard said: "Mercedes does not beryllium for Lewis Hamilton, and Lewis Hamilton has made it wide that helium does not beryllium for Mercedes. In the aforesaid way, erstwhile Michael came backmost from status to motion for Mercedes, it was truly shocking to ideate him being thing different than a Ferrari legend.

"But the gully of coming location to Mercedes, the tendency and content that helium could bash it still, brought him in. He did a mates of years, helium did okay, but it was not the aforesaid arsenic however helium was successful his archetypal stint successful Formula 1."

Hamilton and Mercedes would emotion thing much than to extremity their agelong concern connected a high. It seems unlikely, though, fixed the miserable triple-header helium endured successful Austin, Mexico and Sao Paulo, by the extremity of which the Brit said his car had ne'er felt worse.

Coulthard is optimistic, though, that we whitethorn spot 1 past spot of magic from the 39-year-old successful a Mercedes machine. The Scot added: "He could good triumph his past ever Grand Prix for Mercedes successful Abu Dhabi, and what a large solemnisation of his clip with them that would be.

"You and I bash not cognize what the adjacent fewer races clasp but, if helium does not, it is not going to beryllium the passionate solemnisation of moving connected that possibly they some would person liked."

Watch highlights of the Las Vegas GP connected Channel 4 connected Sunday, November 24.