Lewis Hamilton‘s departure from the front of the Formula 1 grid has sparked widespread analysis across the paddock. The seven-time world champion endured his first podium-less season in 2024 during a difficult debut campaign with Ferrari, marking a stark contrast to the dominant form that defined much of his career. According to motorsport analyst Peter Windsor, the roots of Hamilton’s decline extend beyond machinery limitations to the psychological aftermath of the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale, an event that continues to cast a long shadow over the British driver’s performances three years later.
The lasting wounds from Yas Marina
Windsor believes the events that unfolded at Yas Marina Circuit in December 2021 created psychological scars that Hamilton has never fully overcome. The final-lap drama, which saw Max Verstappen claim his first world championship after a contentious safety car restart orchestrated by then-race director Michael Masi, robbed Hamilton of what would have been a record-breaking eighth world title.
Speaking on his YouTube platform, Windsor addressed the question of why Hamilton no longer displays the form that made him one of the sport’s most formidable competitors. The analyst suggested that the manner in which the championship slipped away created mental barriers that have persisted throughout subsequent seasons.
“How could anyone move past something like that without it leaving deep psychological marks?” Windsor questioned. The former Williams team manager indicated that the trauma of losing a championship in such circumstances has fundamentally altered Hamilton’s approach to racing and his ability to extract maximum performance from his machinery.
Performance decline across two teams
Since that fateful night in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton has secured just two race victories, both during his final seasons with Mercedes. His triumph at Silverstone in 2024 represented a rare high point, while his inherited victory at Spa-Francorchamps following George Russell’s disqualification offered little consolation. The move to Ferrari that promised a fresh start instead delivered Hamilton’s weakest season in Formula 1.
Windsor argues that Hamilton’s struggles cannot be attributed solely to the challenging Mercedes machinery of recent years or the underperforming Ferrari of 2024. The analyst points to a fundamental loss of feel and confidence that has eroded Hamilton’s ability to drive around a car’s limitations—a skill that once defined his greatness.
“His racecraft has deteriorated in those difficult Mercedes cars with all that porpoising,” Windsor observed, referencing the ground-effect aerodynamic issues that plagued the Silver Arrows in 2022 and 2023. The transition to Ferrari failed to reverse this trend, with teammate Charles Leclerc consistently outperforming the British driver throughout 2024.
The burden of past success
Windsor offered a provocative theory about Hamilton’s current predicament: excessive success early in his career may now work against him. Having competed in Formula 1 since 2007 with predominantly competitive machinery, Hamilton developed expectations and references that make driving suboptimal cars particularly challenging.
“He’s spent too long in Formula 1 with too many good cars,” Windsor stated. “He knows how it feels when everything works perfectly. When it doesn’t, he seems lost.” This familiarity with championship-winning machinery may have left Hamilton without the adaptability required to extract performance from vehicles that lack front-end stability and precision.
The contrast with Leclerc proves particularly stark. The Monegasque driver, having developed his skills with less consistently competitive machinery, demonstrated superior ability to maximize the SF-24’s potential throughout the season. Hamilton’s inability to match his younger teammate raised uncomfortable questions about whether age, psychology, or both factors contribute to his decline.
An unrecovered trajectory
Windsor’s most damning assessment addresses Hamilton’s overall trajectory since 2021. “He never became the driver he was before Abu Dhabi again,” the analyst concluded. “He’s completely lost the feeling in the front of the car, and the Ferrari from last season hasn’t helped him rediscover it.”
The observation suggests that Hamilton’s legendary sensitivity to front-end grip and turn-in characteristics—traits that once allowed him to push cars to their absolute limits—has vanished. This loss of feel represents more than a temporary dip in form; it indicates a fundamental shift in Hamilton’s relationship with his racing machinery.
Whether Hamilton can rediscover his previous form remains uncertain. At 40 years old and facing a formidable teammate in Leclerc, the British driver confronts perhaps the most challenging phase of his storied career. The psychological impact Windsor describes may prove the most difficult obstacle to overcome—far harder than any technical deficit or aerodynamic limitation.
