Chandhok expects a lot from Hamilton: 'But he's not as fast as before'

Hamilton hopes to finally drag his eighth world title out of the fire with Ferrari. The big question, however, is whether this is still in the cards after all these years. The Briton is no longer the youngest, and is of course also dependent on the car Ferrari gives him. Nevertheless, Chandhok still sees his chances as fairly positive. "I think Ferrari made good steps towards the end of the year. I think Lewis will bring new energy into the thing [the team, ed.]."

The analyst admits Hamilton may not be as fast as in the past, but he is still capable of fighting for the championship. "Is Lewis as fast in qualifying as he used to be? No. Is het going to be as fast as Charles Leclerc in qualifying? Probably not. Is Lewis still capable to win an eighth championship if the car is capable? Yes, he is."

'2024 British Grnad Prix, highlight of the year'

Here, Chandhok points specifically to the 2024 British Grand Prix, where Hamilton drove to victory. In his opinion, this was also the highlight of the year. "The British Grand Prix this year. If I had to pick one race that was my highlight the year, it would be the British Grand Prix. In the middle of the race- I remember looking at the timing cards, I was in the commentary box with Martin and Crofty. I remember saying: I have no idea who’s going to win this race, there are five drivers who could have won that race. Lewis’ final stint there was magic. Only Lewis or a Max or a Fernando have the magic to deliver that kind of performance. You saw in Abu Dhabi - quality was a mess, but the race was amazing. The magic is still there on a Sunday, so yeah he’s still there."

This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica.

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