Nico Rosberg points to Lewis Hamilton problem which may not be reversible

Nico Rosberg has suggested that Lewis Hamilton may be feeling the effects of age as his performances at Ferrari continue to lag behind expectations in Formula 1 this year.

Hamilton’s blockbuster move to Ferrari has fallen short of expectations this year, with the seven-time F1 champion yet to match the speed of his teammate Charles Leclerc.

While the 40-year-old has made some progress recently to bag back-to-back top-five finishes, he still finished 48s behind second-placed Leclerc in Monaco last weekend.

For 2016 F1 champion Rosberg, Hamilton’s form at Ferrari is no different to his final year with Mercedes, when he was outshone by his younger teammate George Russell.

“It's a little bit of a continuation of the form from last year, where already there was a bit of a dip there and George had the upper hand and was beating him at Mercedes and also finished ahead in the points,” Rosberg said on Sky TV.

“It's just a little bit lacking here and there, especially at ultimate pace in qualifying. We know Charles is an incredible qualifier, so Lewis has to find a little bit more there.”

Rosberg spent four seasons as Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes between 2013-16. This was the period where Hamilton began flexing his muscle in F1 and his defeat to Rosberg in 2016 spurred him on to achieve further success, culminating in him becoming the most successful driver in F1 history.

However, Rosberg said all drivers begin to lose speed at one point, and in the context of Hamilton’s recent struggles, he is left to wonder if the Briton is now past his prime.

“Even if he's the greatest of all time, at some point you are going to get a little bit slower and that's age related,” explained Rosberg.

“And when you're 40, it's gonna happen sooner rather than later. So the question is whether that age has come, where you start to get a little bit slower.

“Even a tenth or something makes a huge difference in this sport, especially when you're up against some of the greatest from the new generation, which is Charles Leclerc, who's considered one of the absolute best qualifiers down there.”

Nico Rosberg: Max Verstappen now among the greatest

While Rosberg was critical of Hamilton’s pace, he also reserved praise for Max Verstappen, who he now ranks among the greatest drivers in F1 history.

The German believes the Red Bull driver’s results against a superior McLaren this year are proof of his talent and capability behind the wheel.

“I've said for a while that he's moved himself into the top five greatest of all time in this sport alongside Lewis, [Michael] Schumacher, [Ayrton] Senna and [Juan Manuel] Fangio and he's showing it again this year because this car has not been good at all and he's still in the championship fight and taking wins off that McLaren. 

“Phenomenal job by Verstappen so far.”