Lewis Hamilton grabbed all the headlines a couple of months ago when he announced his shock decision to snub Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025. Although the Briton would be keen to make his move to Maranello as soon as possible because of Mercedes’ current concerns, it may not be that smooth sailing for the 39-year-old even at Ferrari. According to former Aston Martin race strategist Bernie Collins, one of his weaknesses may make Hamilton regret his move to the Prancing Horse.
While speaking on The Fast and the Curious podcast, Collins said, “I think the Ferrari step for him is going to be a massive challenge. He’s never driven a Ferrari-powered car. All the engine modes are different. The team ethos is different. Yes, Fred’s there, but it’s going to be such a different environment“.
Hamilton most likely made his decision to move to Ferrari to continue his pursuit of a record eighth title. While the seven-time champion has found it difficult to achieve his dream with Mercedes currently, there is also no guarantee that Ferrari can provide him with a car that is quick enough to fight for the championship.
Ferrari themselves have had their own share of struggles. The team has managed to win just two races since the start of last season.
Moreover, even when the team had a car that was quick enough to potentially fight for victories, poor strategy calls and mistakes from their drivers cost them dearly. If Hamilton were to face a similar situation when he moves to Maranello, his move to Ferrari can turn out to be a nightmare.
Did Lewis Hamilton betray Mercedes for Ferrari?
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff himself admitted that it was the timing of Lewis Hamilton’s decision to announce his Ferrari move that surprised him rather than the Briton’s actual decision of wanting to move to Maranello. This is simply because just a few months before Hamilton announced he would be moving to Ferrari in 2025, he renewed his contract with Mercedes.
Since Hamilton decided to move to Ferrari despite having renewed his deal with Mercedes recently, there is something he perhaps knows about Ferrari’s potential that others do not. Moreover, with the Silver Arrows also struggling more than the Prancing Horse so far this season, Hamilton perhaps made the right decision to make the switch.
However, it is not just Mercedes who are struggling but Hamilton in particular. During both the Bahrain and the Saudi Arabian GP weekends, George Russell outperformed Hamilton. Russell finished fifth in Bahrain and sixth in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Hamilton finished seventh in Bahrain and ninth in Saudi Arabia (both registered DNFs in Australia).
So, the question that arises is why is Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time champion, struggling to such an extent with Mercedes? F1 expert Peter Windsor believes that the 39-year-old is deliberately not performing at his best. Windsor made these remarks after Hamilton failed to reach Q3 in Australia, whereas Russell did.
And it may not just be Hamilton who would be thinking about the future. There have been speculations that Mercedes may also be withholding crucial information deliberately from Hamilton to prevent the Briton from taking valuable insights from Ferrari.
