Hamilton told he has 'had his time' as Ferrari hopes dismissed

Lewis Hamilton has been warned that he has "had his best time" in Formula 1 as he prepares to leave Mercedes for Ferrari.

The Hamilton-Mercedes partnership is the most successful in F1 history with 82 wins and six Drivers' titles, but Hamilton has not won a race since December 2021 as Mercedes continues to struggle in the ground-effects era, with 2024 Hamilton's worst-start to a season after four races.

He will leave the team to sign for Ferrari in 2025, but ex-F1 turned NASCAR Euro Series driver Michael Bleekemolen believes the Briton's time of success in grand prix racing is over.

"It's all coming together just a little bit badly," Bleekemolen told RacingNews365.

"I think he's had his best time, maybe he will end up in the top two, three again, that could just happen [at Ferrari].

"It's not going to be easy, but it would be nice. I just don't think it's going to happen."

Simply asked if Hamilton will win an eighth title at the Scuderia, Bleekemolen succintly replied "No."

Leclerc dynamic

Going up against Leclerc could prove tricky for Hamilton, with the team being built around the Monegasque, with Bleekemolen unsure about how the dynamic will pan out.

"Who will be number one, you often see in the course of a few races," he added.

"At the moment Sainz is also sort of number one.

"It's hard to estimate, but everyone fights for themselves in the end.

It's the same within a team, they really do understand, that when you start winning races or consistently finish on the podium, you always have an advantage over someone who only finishes fourth, fifth, sixth."