Hamilton has always explained his disint💦erest in using Mercedes’ simulator, saying he only drives 20 laps per year on it, but some of his rivals including Max Verstappen ha🤪ve taken virtual racing to another level.

Hamilton, who at 38 is an older generation that the current crop, might be at a disadvantage b♓ecause of the youngsters’ embracing sim racing, Herbert thinks.

• Could Hamilton take key engineers to a ඣnew team, like Schumacher did?

“The biggest difference now is that the majority of the y🐻oung 💝generation of great drivers on the grid have something that Lewis has never been comfortable with and want to put all their energies in, which is the sim stuff,” said Herbert to the .

“It adds a sixth sense.

“George has been able to challeng🌄e him and put him under a lot of pressure.

“George is going to be tough for Max Verstappen when he gets the right car. I thinꦏk Lando Norris is the same given 🌜the right car.”

Verstappen’s love ofౠ gaming saw him equip his motorhome with a state-꧙of-the-art simulator.

Hamilton has been out-performed by Mercedes teammate Russell since the beginning of 2022 when the major issues with the team’s c🅷ar first arose.

The seven-time world champion did not a wi🐲n a single race last season for the first time in his career, and watched on as Russell💮 claimed Mercedes’ sole victory.

How much of Russell’s talent is down to sim racing? It’s probably very unfair to diminish his expe🐭rtise at the real thing in any way. 

But it is clear that sim racing is here to stay a꧃nd could help to forge more world champions inꦍ the future, even if Hamilton isn’t among them.