Hamilton to Ferrari: Is love key to his success? Villeneuve thinks so
F1 News
Lewis Hamilton will start a new chapter in his career at Ferrari in 2025. According to former world champion Jacques Villeneuve, the seven-time world champion's success lies not only in his talent or the car's performance, but mainly in how the team receives him.
"It seems as if he needs to be loved but I don't know him well enough," Villeneuve stated in conversation with Mirror Sport. Driving in Ferrari's high pressure environment is no easy feat, with the press and the Tifosi always expecting great successes from their team. The Candian F1 world champion is curious to see how Hamilton will fare in Ferrari red come next season, particularly due to this sensibility the Briton posseses in Villeneuve's view. "It just seems he's very receptive to external noise, both positive and negative," he said.
The 1997 world champion went on to stress that Hamilton will have the chance for a fresh start at Ferrari, though and with the Briton having no involvement in the development of the Italian's 2025 car, unlike during his years at Mercedes, this could be just what he needs to get the most out of his machinery as well as himself. "I think that will make it a little bit easier [for him]," Villeneuve thinks. "He'll have time to adapt and can then make the car his."
However, the Briton will have to face Charles Leclerc, Ferrari's lead and established driver who has soundly beaten opponents like Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz in his years in the Italian outfit. But, the fact that Hamilton has already won everything might give him an edge, at least according to the former world champion, Villeneuve. "Charles will want to be a world champion and has always been the Ferrari golden boy, but Lewis has nothing to prove - he's won everything already. The only thing missing for Lewis is winning with Ferrari."
Hamilton wants the eighth title
Why is it that despite having won so much already, Hamilton still continues to hunger for more? Villeneuve believes he knows, the Briton wants to leave a stand alone mark in F1's history books. "When you have so many wins and world championships to your name already, it won't change his life. Sportsmen always need that carrot to chase and something to aim for, though, and becoming the best driver of all time by winning with Ferrari will be just that for him."
Winning an 8th World Championship would set him apart from Michael Schumacher who also has 7 world championships to his name. But doing it in Ferrari, would make Hamilton the only driver in the modern era to have won titles with three different teams, something that has only been achieved by drivers the like of Juan Manuel Fangio. In doing so, he would leave fellow record champion Michael Schumacher behind for good.
This article was written in collaboration with Corwin Kunst
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!