Lewis Hamilton remains capable of winning a record-breaking eighth Formula 1 world championship, according to former driver Johnny Herbert, who believes the British star still has the tools to return to the very top of the sport, Idman.Biz reports.
Herbert said Hamilton has not lost the key qualities required to fight for a title, but stressed that several factors would need to fall into place. Chief among them, he argued, is the driver’s complete confidence and comfort behind the wheel of his car.
Hamilton is a seven-time world champion and shares the all-time record with Michael Schumacher. He came agonisingly close to claiming an eighth crown in 2021, only for controversial race control decisions in the season finale to swing the title away from him at the last moment.
The years since have been challenging. Formula 1’s switch to ground-effect cars proved difficult for Hamilton to master, disrupting the balance and feel he had relied on for much of his dominance. His first season with Ferrari was also a tough one, ending without a single podium finish and with Hamilton clearly trailing team-mate Charles Leclerc over the course of the championship.
Despite that, Herbert insists that experience, racing instincts and tyre management do not simply fade with age. In his view, if Hamilton fully adapts to the Ferrari and finds the right connection with the car, the possibility of one final title run should not be dismissed.
With Ferrari pushing to re-establish itself as a championship force and Hamilton still driven by unfinished business, the debate over an eighth title remains very much alive.
