Former Red Bull man feels Lewis Hamilton has never recovered from the Abu Dhabi 2021 debacle

Former Red Bull man Robert Doornbos feels that Lewis Hamilton has never recovered from the disaster of the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP and hence has been a shadow of himself. The iconic championship battle between Hamilton and Verstappen in 2021 eventually went in the direction of the Dutch driver, but it all happened in controversial circumstances.

Heading into the last race of the season, it all came down to who finished ahead in the final race of the season. Lewis Hamilton was the favorite for most of that race until the late race safety car and the race director's controversial call to go racing on the last lap of the season. Max Verstappen would clinch the title with the last-lap overtake, and Hamilton has not fought for the title since.

Since 2021, Lewis Hamilton's on-track performance has also suffered, as the driver was beaten two times over three years as George Russell's teammate at Mercedes, and his stint at Ferrari has been disastrous, to say the least.

Talking to Motorsport Total, former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos felt that the driver never recovered from what happened in 2021 and has been unable to bounce back. He said,

"With Lewis, it's a different story. His fans won't like to hear this, but it almost seems as if he lost his identity at times. In Abu Dhabi, he practically had his eighth title in his pocket. The fact that it didn't work out back then obviously hit him hard, and he never fully got over that blow."

Age alone is not a factor behind Lewis Hamilton's decline in form

Lewis Hamilton's recent drop in form often gets attributed to the fact that he's now in his 40s, and with a young Charles Leclerc in the other car, it's always going to be tough. Doornbos doesn't buy the fact that age could have led to a drop in form, as he pointed to names like Fernando Alonso and others. He said,

"Everyone can see that. Perhaps age also plays a role when you have to muster the energy for another long season. I hope he recovers during the summer break and comes back stronger. But at some point, you reach the point where you're past your prime."

He added,

"It can't be that he suddenly has no talent anymore. That doesn't make sense. LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Alonso – these are names at the absolute top level who are still delivering well into their 40s,"

Whether Lewis Hamilton's drop in form is a result of his age or not is a question no one can truly answer. There is, however, a reality here where if his performances don't show an upward trend, then Ferrari might become a hard place to continue to throw his weight around.