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Dutch Formula 1 expert Rob Kamphues has insisted that the “era of Lewis Hamilton” is officially over, with pundits questioning whether the sport is now in the era of reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
The seven-time world champion has certainly not been a dominant figure since the start of the new aerodynamic era in 2022, with the Brit’s last victory at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Hamilton has struggled to adapt to the new era of the sport and as a result his reign is over.
Hamilton has not had a pole or victory since the introduction of the new rules, while he was beaten by team-mate George Russell in the drivers’ championship last season.
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All of this adds up to convincing Kamphues that Hamilton’s reign is over, and the question now is when will the “great turning point” be?
“Have we concluded that Lewis Hamilton’s time in Formula 1 is over, or is it too soon?” Kamphues wrote in his column for Formula 1.nl.
“Are we indeed entering the era of Max Verstappen and his contemporaries? If so, which event do we designate as the ‘great tipping point’?
“It’s Abu Dhabi 2021, did Max make him squeak on the last lap? Could something have suddenly disappeared from the great champion?
“Lewis hasn’t won a race since that day, he hasn’t been on pole, he’s never even started from the front.
“In 2022, he’s also behind his young team-mate in the championship, and that young team-mate also won the only race Mercedes won. Let alone this season.”
While Hamilton’s reign is over in the eyes of experts, he still believes the 38-year-old can be a leading challenger if Mercedes gives him a good car.
Fernando Alonso proved age certainly doesn’t matter, with the 41-year-old scoring three consecutive podium finishes for Aston Martin.
With that in mind, Kamphues believes Hamilton could look at players like Alonso and Alain Prost and believes a return to the front of the field is possible.
“He will remind us of Alain Prost, who left Formula 1 with his tail between his legs the year Ayrton Senna became world champion for the third time,” Kamphues said. continued.
“He didn’t play in 1992, rejoined Williams in 1993 and quickly became champion for the fourth time.
“Lewis would point at Alonso and say, ‘How many times have you written him off?’
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“After his failure at Ferrari, his venture at McLaren fizzled, he moved again from Renault to Aston Martin last winter.
“See how it now drives the stars out of heaven again.
“In other words, it’s too early to say the Lewis era is over. But it is. Call me in five years and tell me I was right.”
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