EXCLUSIVE: Psychologist Dr Marcia Goddard has labored with a number of F1 groups.
Lewis Hamilton desires to win yet another title with Ferrari earlier than retiring from F1 (Picture: Getty)
Lewis Hamilton nonetheless has the mentality and sharpness to win extra Components 1 titles. That is the view of psychologist Dr Marcia Goddard, who has labored with a number of F1 groups. And even after a nightmare first season with Ferrari, and on the age of 41, she is satisfied Hamilton remains to be on monitor for an eighth crown if the Scuderia can ship a title-winning automotive.
She stated: “Folks say that he misplaced his mojo? No – he simply didn’t have the automotive underneath him to drive. And for those who, in 2026, nonetheless say, ‘It is simply the automotive’, then you definately actually don’t perceive how Components 1 works. Sure, the automotive performs a task, clearly. However you can not have a look at Lewis or Max or any of these drivers and be like, ‘Oh, it is simply the automotive’. That is ridiculous.
“So fingers crossed that they get their act collectively, get their tradition collectively. His race engineer, that it really works out. As a result of then, I do nonetheless actually imagine that he has all of the high-performance traits and expertise that you must get that eighth championship. And he deserves it.”
Hamilton’s struggles final yr led to some painful interviews when he was at his lowest, reminiscent of when he recommended Ferrari is perhaps higher off with out him after one poor qualifying consequence. It was robust to observe for Dr Goddard, whose Trinidadian roots imply she has a soft-spot for the seven-time world champion, like many different F1 followers in Caribbean international locations.
Although she can also be Dutch and so additionally cheers on Max Verstappen. The 2021 season, during which the 2 fought an ever-more-fierce title duel, left her loyalties particularly torn. Reflecting on Hamilton’s low factors in 2025, Dr Goddard was left to surprise how a lot the conclusion of that season, and the way in which during which he was cruelly denied an eighth title, continues to have an effect on him.
She stated: “Lewis is a legend. I assume that he might need hoped that he would have discovered his new dwelling with Ferrari and construct it round him like he did with Mercedes and that did not occur. Mercedes and Ferrari are so completely different in how they function and he simply hasn’t been capable of finding his groove. And the automotive was very completely different. It was unhappy to see.
“I all the time surprise to what diploma ’21 nonetheless performs a task in that, as a result of ’21 was alleged to be his yr, he felt cheated out of it.
“Then, in ’22, the [Mercedes] automotive was simply s*** – after which you do not have the chance to get the championship that you simply felt such as you rightfully deserved. That will need to have weighed on him. I hope he processed that. He has seemed, particularly final yr, a little bit bit down-and-out at occasions, and I simply hope that he has an excellent automotive [again in the future]”.
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Driving Efficiency: 10 Classes About Constructing Excessive-Performing Groups from Neuroscience and Components 1, by Dr. Marcia Goddard, is out there to pre-order right here.
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