Jenson Button Raises Age Concerns as Lewis Hamilton Struggles in Qualifying

 

“Jenson Button Raises Age Concerns as Lewis Hamilton Struggles in Qualifying”

Former Formula 1 driver Jenson Button has raised concerns that Lewis Hamilton’s advancing age may be affecting his qualifying performance. Hamilton, who is approaching his 40th birthday, has struggled in qualifying this season, trailing his teammate George Russell 16-5 in head-to-head qualifying sessions.

Button, who won the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship, believes that Hamilton’s age may be impacting his reaction times, which are crucial in qualifying. “He’s almost 40 years old, and maybe you do lose a tiny bit,” Button said in an interview with Sky F1. “You are racing against 20-year-olds, your reactions however good they are, are still not going to be as good as a 20-year-old’s reactions.”

Button’s comments come after Hamilton’s disappointing qualifying performance in Brazil, where he failed to make it out of Q1 in a wet qualifying session. Russell, on the other hand, was two seconds quicker than Hamilton and secured the second-fastest time of the session.

Hamilton’s qualifying struggles have also affected his performance in the Grand Prix, where he has scored 40 points in the seven races since the summer break, compared to Russell’s 75 points. Button believes that Hamilton’s lack of confidence in the car is also a contributing factor to his qualifying struggles.

While Button’s comments may spark debate about Hamilton’s age and its impact on his performance, it is worth noting that Hamilton has consistently defied expectations and pushed the boundaries of what is possible for a driver of his age. Nevertheless, Button’s comments highlight the challenges that Hamilton faces as he approaches the twilight of his career.