Celebrity F1 fan Jeremy Clarkson has doubled down on his criticism of Lewis Hamilton, claiming the new Ferrari driver knows he is “past his prime” and is more of a superstar than a racing driver.

Hamilton made his first public appearances as a Ferrari driver this week, visiting the team’s Maranello factory before enjoying his first on-track outing at the team’s Fiorano test track.

Jeremy Clarkson doubles down on Lewis Hamilton criticism

The seven-time World Champion completed 30 laps behind the wheel of Ferrari’s 2023 car, taking time to meet the tifosi, the team’s hardcore fans, after his running ended.

Hamilton, who is reportedly set to move close to the team’s base, will be on track again this week as Ferrari stage a second private test over three days in Barcelona.

Clarkson courted controversy after last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix for claiming that Hamilton, who turned 40 earlier this month, is now “past his prime” and “too old.”

Hamilton conceded at the Qatar Grand Prix weeks later that he is “not fast anymore” having been heavily beaten in qualifying conditions by Mercedes team-mate George Russell in F1 2024.

Clarkson poked fun at the official photographs released to mark Hamilton’s visit to Maranello earlier this week, posting an image of himself dressed smartly in front of a Range Rover at his farm.

It came days after Hamilton posed in front of the house used as an office by legendary team founder Enzo Ferrari alongside a Ferrari F40, described as the seven-time World Champion’s favourite supercar.

And writing in his column for the Sun newspaper, Clarkson posed the theory that Hamilton himself knows his best days are over, with his move from Mercedes driven be a desire to race for Ferrari before retiring rather than winning a record eighth title.

He said: “It could be argued that Lewis Hamilton wants a record-breaking eighth world championship before he retires, and moved to Ferrari because he reckons that this year they will have the fastest car.

“He may have a point. Early indications on the rumour mill suggest it’s very fast indeed.

“However, if he’s so keen on that eighth world title, you’d imagine that he’d have arrived at the factory on day one, keen to know the car’s secrets and how he can extract the most from its vast arsenal of racing trickery.

“Instead, he turned up in an SUV in a suit and tie and posed for pictures before talking to fans, under the watchful eye of a video drone which luckily was there to capture the moment.

“Next, there was a tour of the team’s headquarters where, in slow motion, we saw the fawning engineers and the applause.

“And then, eventually, he went on to the track, in an F1 Ferrari that’s three years old.

“I’m told his new house isn’t anywhere near the team’s HQ. It’s in Milan, and he doesn’t even commute in a Ferrari road car, choosing instead to use Fiat’s helicopter.

“It made me wonder. What is Lewis now? A driver? Or a superstar?

“What I do know is he’ll have his work cut out to beat his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who speaks Italian, knows the team, doesn’t spend quite so long posing for pictures and, thanks to a single-lap shootout, is regarded by many to be the fastest driver of them all.

“Maybe Lewis is aware of this.

“And maybe he signed for Ferrari for a different reason – he knows he’s past his prime now and he didn’t want to retire having never driven for motorsport’s crown jewel.

“Either way, I wish him well.”

Clarkson’s latest comments come after Martin Brundle, the Sky F1 pundit, claimed that Hamilton’s best days are likely “behind him” – but insisted that the seven-time World Champion is still fast enough to win with the right machinery.

He told Sky Sports News: “Let’s [think back to] Silverstone last year. When he had a chance to win the British GP, he won it.

“He won in Spa but that was a little bit lucky because George got disqualified.

“Lewis was extraordinary all through practice in Las Vegas and then fluffed it in qualifying, something he didn’t used to do much, and then was extraordinary in the race.

“I think the speed is there. Do I think the best of Lewis Hamilton is ahead or behind him? I think it’s behind him.

“I think he’s lost an edge with age, as you do. Sometimes he gets in scuffles that he used to emerge out of, but he doesn’t now, or he’ll make a mistake in qualifying.

“But I think 96-97 per cent of Lewis Hamilton in a winning car is still good enough.

“He’s got all the experience, and his energy and enthusiasm will be re-energised by the whole experience. He will not be overwhelmed driving a Ferrari like so many drivers have.

“And let’s not forget, despite not being a Ferrari driver, the Italian fans, known as the Tifosi, adore him. They cheered him even when he was winning in a Mercedes.”

Meanwhile, Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko believes Hamilton can no longer be considered a threat to reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen.

In a recent interview with Germany’s Sport Bild, Marko argued that none of Verstappen’s rivals for the F1 2025 title “stand out” with Hamilton unlikely to win the title even with a faster car than the Red Bull.

He said: “Lewis Hamilton still has the speed, but can he keep that up for a whole season? I have my doubts about that.

“Even if he has a good Ferrari and we build a mediocre Red Bull for Max, I would put my money on Max.”