Lewis Hamilton announced earlier last month that he would join Ferrari in the upcoming season. With this, the seven-time champion will end his 12-year relationship with the Silver Arrows. Considering this, a former team principal has weighed in his perspective. According to ex-Haas boss, Guenther Steiner, Lewis Hamilton made the right choice by moving to Ferrari next year.
In his conversation with Sky Sports F1, Steiner said as quoted by Motorsport.com, “In 2026 there will be completely new rules for the engine and the chassis, so the cars will be rebuilt. If he is lucky and things go in the right direction, and Ferrari produces a good car, it could be that he wins his eighth title there.”
Previously, Steiner compared Hamilton’s Ferrari move to his Mercedes switch from 2013. The Briton joined the Silver Arrows in a high-profile move, which was interesting since the team wasn’t dominating at that time. Nevertheless, a year after he joined, his choice proved wise. This was because Hamilton won six driver championships with the team and the team itself won eight consecutive titles.
Hamilton has yet again decided to join a team that isn’t at the top currently. Interestingly, according to Steiner, by making this choice, the 39-year-old is taking a fresh gamble that might turn in his favor.
Speaking about Ferrari, the team has been building momentum since the end of 2023. However, as per Steiner, whether Hamilton will fight for the championship with Ferrari in 2025 remains to be seen.
Nevertheless, the Italian noted that Ferrari might become a team to seize the lead in 2026 because of new engine regulations. Although Steiner’s forecasting on Hamilton’s future is not entirely new, he has previously claimed that Mercedes would be the only team to take a chance on the Briton.
What did Guenther Steiner say regarding other teams’ willingness to make room for Lewis Hamilton?
Mercedes has faced significant challenges over the past two years. While the Brackley squad faced difficulties in 2022 due to porpoising, in 2023, they took the wrong development path. At that moment, there was a lot of conjecture over Hamilton’s future with the Silver Arrows. Notably, amidst the rumors, a statement came from Steiner that the Briton can’t do better than Mercedes.
For Steiner, the only team that was stronger than Mercedes was Red Bull. However, as per the 58-year-old, the Milton Keynes side was too busy investing in Hamilton’s rival Max Verstappen. As a result, Steiner believed that Mercedes was the only squad that could suit Hamilton, as he was nearing the conclusion of his career.
According to RacingNews365, Steiner told the Mail, “Red Bull has put everything on Max. Max is their man. Why would they now change Max for Lewis?”
However, as time passed, it became evident that Steiner had made an incorrect prediction with Hamilton’s big switch to Ferrari, leaving Mercedes in the doldrums.
