Lewis Hamilton’s age raised by Jenson Button ahead of Ferrari switch next season

Lewis Hamilton has been struggling successful qualifying this play for Mercedes, with his erstwhile McLaren team-mate Jenson Button suggesting his property could beryllium catching up with him

Ex-Formula One champion Jenson Button has suggested that Lewis Hamilton's slower absorption times could beryllium to blasted for his lacklustre qualifying performances.

Despite topping the clip sheets successful some signifier sessions up of Sunday's (November 24) Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Briton is lagging down Mercedes team-mate George Russell 16-5 successful qualifying this season. With lone 3 qualifying rounds near successful 2024, Hamilton, for conscionable the 2nd clip successful his 12-year stint with the Silver Arrows, is acceptable to suffer this year's head-to-head.

His erstwhile McLaren workfellow believes that age mightiness beryllium a origin successful Hamilton's struggles this season. And Button hinted that the 39-year-old's absorption times whitethorn not lucifer up to those of the younger drivers connected the grid.

"He's astir 40 years aged and possibly you bash suffer a tiny bit," Button told Sky F1 astatine the Las Vegas Grand Prix. "You are racing against 20-year-olds. Your reactions, nevertheless bully they are, are inactive not going to beryllium arsenic bully arsenic a 20-year-old's reactions.

"You tin perchance suffer that flimsy borderline which wouldn't amusement up successful a contention but I deliberation successful qualifying that is wherever it does go a small spot much difficult. It hurts, it does erstwhile you spot the younger drivers suddenly, not conscionable speedy successful qualifying but it is the consistency they tin enactment successful in qualifying."

After a disappointing qualifying league successful Brazil earlier this month, wherever Hamilton didn't marque it past Q1 successful rainy conditions, helium voiced his debased spirits astatine the clip to Sky: "I didn't truly privation to travel backmost aft that weekend," helium disclosed.

"But, I deliberation that's lone natural, you know. It's frustrating erstwhile you person a play similar this, which I'm beauteous definite I won't person again, oregon astatine slightest I'll enactment towards not having again. Yeah, it conscionable wasn't a large feeling successful that moment, but I'm here, I'm lasting beardown and I'm going to springiness it perfectly everything for these past fewer races," helium vowed.

Despite Button's concerns astir his erstwhile team-mate, he's optimistic that fans volition witnesser the "best of Lewis" successful the season's closing stages, reports the Express. Hamilton, who turns 40 travel January, is anxious to embark connected a caller section with Ferrari adjacent year, admitting his content successful having quicker reactions than his youthful competitors.

In an interrogation with The Sunday Times, Hamilton expressed his mindset: "I'm successful specified a bully place, physically and mentally. My absorption times are inactive quicker than the young guys.

"I deliberation I'm a amended operator than I was astatine 22. I was conscionable young, energetic and ruthless, but nary finesse, nary balance. I didn't cognize however to beryllium a squad player, however to beryllium a leader. Being a bully racing driver, it's not conscionable astir being fast, it's astir being the astir rounded."