As for Ferrari versus Mercedes, it's still difficult to judge, but I don't think Ferrari will be ahead of Mercedes this season, I think it's more about Hamilton simply wanting to have driven for Ferrari at some point in his career.
It is a really tough work to do, I agree. We can think about Alonso as an example. He is 42 years old now but he has been making a huge effort to stay strong. He is really good at it also considering his general effort in 2023 season. His reflexes are still in great condition. There are many much younger drivers who make more mistakes than him.
Quality is a big factor here also of course. Hamilton is also a legend now. I hope to see the same effort from him too. It is said Ferrari are going to pay him 100+ million dollars a year. This would also be a good motivation for Hamilton.