Why Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari makes sense despite hype warnings
Column
Lewis Hamilton’s upcoming Ferrari stint has been met with much resistance, with warnings springing about in terms of the excitement around the seven-time world champion's next adventure at the Scuderia, given his age, the caliber of his teammate, Charles Leclerc, and the monumental challenge ahead -returning the F1 Drivers' title to Maranello-, which are all legitimate doubts surrounding the move. However, a different perspective could be just as valid.
Hamilton's age, the sheer speed and recent improvement of his new teammate, Leclerc, and the tightness of the fight at the top, with many -younger- and quick drivers eager to leave their mark in the sport, not to mention Max Verstappen, the man who experts and drivers alike have set as the benchmark in the current era of F1, are objections that without doubt carry ample weight, certainly enough to be raised, and his recent crash in Barcelona during Ferrari's TPC test programme certainly does not help to counter them.
Barcelona crash
If it were any other driver, said objections might even be as good as certain. However, such is not the case. It is indeed seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, and as such, he's earned the benefit of the doubt at least.
While his crash in Barcelona does seem to raise even more eyebrows, it must serve as a reminder that he is currently undergoing an acclimatisation process at the Scuderia exploring the limits of the car, and of himself in it, which is rumoured to be going very well.
This is precisely what testing is for, to iron out any potential issues and determine its root causes in hopes of minimising the possibilities of it occurring again in the future.
Hamilton's Mercedes exit early announcement
For instance, relying on his defeat to George Russell last year to build on the reasons why his Ferrari stint should be approached with caution, only tells one side of the story.
A fact worthy of note is that Hamilton announced his exit from Mercedes before the 2024 season had even started. This must have had an impact in the team's dynamics. Dynamics which might have shifted even before then, given that Hamilton was only offered a 1+1 deal at Mercedes, a clear sign of them holding out for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, which triggered the Briton's desire to look elsewhere, feeling he still had plenty to offer in the last phase of his F1 career.
And it must be noted that when a driver announces they are leaving a team, the team's focus changes towards the driver who is staying, in this case, Russell, as it should be, shedding a more profound light on Hamilton's fall to his teammate last year, yes, but on the margins as well.
Hamilton still has it
But only in 2023, it was not his former teammate Russell, it was not his new teammate, Charles Leclerc, but the now 40 year old driver fighting against the Red Bull domination in the Drivers' standings, with the Briton coming ever so close to snatching that P2 from Perez in the final races of the year in decisively inferior machinery. One thing is clear, his speed and skill are still there as his victories in Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps last year showed.
Sure, he still makes the odd mistake here and there, but he's always been that type of driver. Blinding quick, instinctive killer, and sometimes pushes a bit too far in his quest for the ultimate lap, or a win, which affected his qualifying lap in Las Vegas, where he incidentally drove the wheels off his Mercedes the very next day to come from P10 to P2 and even threatening teammate Russell's position, eventual winner of the race in Nevada.
A feat he completed however, in the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, coming back from P16 to take Russell's P4 in the final stages of the race, asserting his skill and authority over his much younger teammate, who despite being lauded as a future world champion, is yet to truly make his mark on the sport. Hamilton has not lost his speed nor his grit for that matter.
Despite Toto Wolff's claims that Hamilton struggled under the current ground effect cars, one must look at the fact that Hamilton and Russell were evenly matched throughout their time together under the current regulations and the seven-time world champion was quite vocal in his discontent with Mercedes' approach to the current regulations, with their rear tyre overheating being a problem the German team are yet to solve since the introduction of the current regulations in 2022.
Taking Max Verstappen's record into account, for instance, when he was not happy with his Red Bull car, paying particular attention to Hungary, Monza and Baku it is clear to see: when the car is not there, a driver can only mitigate how poor their results are, not vy for wins, which is the only thing Hamilton was able to do in the past three years.
It's Lewis Hamilton driving for Ferrari
How many times will anyone be able to say, in their life time, that they saw one of the best drivers in history drive for the most iconic F1 brand? Not many. This is one of them. That it comes under such heavy scrutiny is strange, after all, when Nigel Mansell at age 36 made the move to Ferrari, his abilities were not brought into question at any point, and this happened in an era when F1 was much more physical, rendering the impact of age even more profound.
Not even Alain Prost’s switch to Williams at age 38 after being fired from Ferrari and being forced to sit an entire year on the sidelines, was put under the magnifying glass in the way Hamilton is, a driver who has time and time again proven and showed that he is able to, not only keep up with the best, but also beat them as well, and who a few years ago was the absolute benchmark in the sport.
Motorsport’s culture is a celebration of speed, where the many watch the brave few who are able to do what most cannot: push the limits of the physical world in a hard-fought and competitive environment by traveling at the highest possible speed, which man should not have ever come to know, but for the ingenuity of some of the brightest minds this world has ever seen, and a few of the bravest hearts this world is yet know the likes of.
As such, Hamilton’s signing for Ferrari should be met with open arms in celebration that we get to witness something that only comes once every 20-30 years. Will it be a sporting success? One thing is certain, neither Ferrari nor Hamilton have ever bet on themselves losing, and under Frederic Vasseur's leadership the Italian team is now adopting a winning culture, and the Briton's signing is a big part of that.
Sit back and enjoy the show, it will be worth the watch.
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