Karun Chandhok believes Lewis Hamilton will have his poor qualifying record “weighing on his mind” ahead of his blockbuster move to Ferrari next year.
Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the season after 12 years to join the Scuderia in 2025.
Despite winning two races this year – at Silverstone and Spa – Hamilton is on track to record his lowest-ever championship position. He is seventh in the drivers’ standings ahead of this weekend’s race in Las Vegas.
Yet it is the 39-year-old’s qualifying record, where he trails Mercedes teammate George Russell 16-5 this year, which is a concern, particularly ahead of battling against Charles Leclerc next year.
“Is he [Lewis] as fast as Charles over one lap? I don’t think so – but I don’t think anyone is,” Sky F1 expert Chandhok told The Independent.
“I think Charles is the best qualifier in F1. Is Lewis still capable of winning the world championship in the right car? Absolutely. I think there is still enough evidence to suggest he is quick enough.
“I think Lewis is concerned about it [his qualifying record], he’s sounded pretty despondent in recent times, saying ‘my qualifying is terrible, I’ve forgotten how to qualify.’
“It sounds weird for a guy who is statistically the most successful qualifier in the history of the sport.
“I do think it’s weighing on his mind. It’s one of these things, maybe he needs a new challenge. He’s had three years of not having the opportunity to fight for pole. When he can fight for pole, drivers like him can find another gear.”
Hamilton has recorded 104 pole positions alongside his 105 wins in a 17-year career in the sport, but Leclerc is seen as one of the quickest one-lap drivers amid the next generation of F1 stars.
Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, who himself has won two races this year, and Chandhok insists we won’t know until the end of 2025 whether Ferrari’s decision in January to sign Hamilton was the right one.
“Have Ferrari made the right call dropping Carlos Sainz in favour of Lewis?” he said. “You look a Carlos’ recent run, the win in Mexico was outstanding. We’ll only be able to answer that at the end of next year.
“We’re not seeing Lewis at his best because the car is not particularly motivating for him. For a guy who’s won over 100 grands prix and seven world championships, I get it. You’re not super motivated to finish seventh.
“They [Ferrari] haven’t hired him to be faster than Charles. They’ve hired him because he’s the complete package. That’s where people are getting slightly confused.”
Hamilton, despite a poor run of form, will be looking to end his Mercedes career on a high at the final three races of the 2024 season in Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Watch every single session from the Las Vegas race weekend live on Sky Sports F1
