Lewis Hamilton expects his golden age to be in front of him, not behind him. But at 40 and embarked on his final hurra in Ferrari, there are no guarantees of that.
In truth, eight years have passed since the great Briton was in its zenith, in 2018, when he combined the experience with the rawness of his youth to produce actions of a barely credible excellence.
The Hamilton of that time would never have been overcome 19-5 by George Russell as it was last year, or skated in Brazil soaked in rain on the most mystically poor trip of his life.
Part of the explanation of his sad season was that it was a one -year drag, a prolonged goodbye in a Mercurial Mercedes while waiting for his transfer to the Scuderia and a new beginning.
His then team was also following. Russell was his future, Hamilton slipped into his history, and the old favors were now falling to the other side of the garage.
Getting this up to date, a younger Hamilton would have finished his first red practice session, as he did here when I suffocate Melbourne on Friday, in 12th place, six tenths slower than his teammate Charles Leclerc? Or the second, four tenths back. First days, of course. But a warning signal appeared.
Lewis Hamilton will make his debut for his new Ferrari team at the Melbourne Grand Prix
The 40 -year -old is still hopeful to win his eighth world title before calling at the time in his remarkable career.
It remains to be determined if Hamilton can challenge his maturation years by looting his past brilliance, but he must confuse the evidence of the record books to do so.
Yes, Juan Manuel Fangio claimed the last of his five world championships at the age of 46. But that was at a different age, not only in demands and teams, but because World War II condemned those of Fangio's contemporaries who survived to begin or restart, their careers live again later. They were all older then; They are not just the photos.
Since 1968, so for more than half a century since Graham Hill triumphed 39, only three drivers before Hamilton won the title of 38 years or more: Mario Andretti in 1978, 38; Nigel Mansell in 1992, 39; and Alain Prost in 1993, 39.
Hamilton himself is the oldest champion of the 21st century, 35.
Ferrari showed a partner seven times champion Michael Schumacher by Ferrari, in 2006, before his 38th birthday. He returned in Mercedes four years later. Then he was prone to silly errors that would have been unimaginable in his salad days.
Damon Hill, who won his title for Williams at 36 in 1996, was at Paddock on Friday, working for Australian television. He is still a Hamilton believer, but he spoke fascinatingly about how a driver decreases with age.
“You can't use the normal criteria in people like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso (43 and still driving for Aston Martin),” he said. 'They are completely dedicated, like Tom Brady in American football.
'They are, or in the case of Brady, extending what was previously thought that it was the limit.
Eight years have passed since Hamilton was in his zenith in 2018, when he combined the experience with the rawness of his youth
The British was four tenth more than his Ferrari Charles Leclerc teammate during FP2 on Friday
Hamilton, furious against any death of light, has appeared in Ferrari Super-Fit
'They have used the diet and preparation for their advantage for a long time. Maybe you can keep your physical state in your forty years. But as for the reaction time and the use of their instincts, there is a decrease. Your vision goes. You lose peripheral vision. That is something really important. It goes from its end of the thirties.
'His vision is already restricted by the cars that lead and anything that is not sharp focused on judging distances will mean that he leaves a margin or mistakes. With age there comes a time when the pros and cons ever of the cons of a tight movement and doubts. You can't do that as a race pilot. You can make wisest decisions, such as Fernando keeping out of the problems in a first round.
The trap is to think that you can do what you used to do. If you take into account that those days may have gone, it must be an old pilot. Instead of a bold pilot. There are no daring and old pilots.
'Therefore, it will be interesting to see how far Lewis and Fernando can go in their forty years. And there were moments last season when Lewis led very well.
'Motivation is another consideration. That perhaps decreased last year. Now he has a new tempting beginning in Ferrari and the opportunity to be a contender to the championship and, who knows, win an eighth title.
Hamilton, furious against any death of light, has appeared in Ferrari Super-Fit. He is a hard coach, has always been.
Speaking in Melbourne on Friday, Ferrari's head, Fred Vasseur, insisted that he was not worried about Hamilton potholes in recent seasons. “I have absolutely no doubt that you can act and act soon,” he said.
'It's not about being at the limit in the first session. The goal is for him to know everyone in the team, discover the software, the process, the system. It is just a learning process.
That is fine to some extent. But you feel that if Hamilton must design a success of his Ferrari Swansong, he needs to start well, before the sandy sands are exhausted.