When Lewis Hamilton signed for Ferrari for the 2025 season, many experts expressed their shock. Since the Briton had fully committed himself to Mercedes, no one expected him to jump ship to any other team, let alone Ferrari. While Hamilton has his reasons, former Ferrari driver Mika Salo said that there is more than what meets the eye to this bombshell switch.
Speaking to Finnish tabloid Iltalehti, Salo stated, “I believe that Hamilton knows something that the rest of us do not yet know. Whether it is related to the development of Ferrari’s car or the staff of the team, it is difficult to say.”
The Finn is also surprised like everybody else, given Hamilton had pledged his loyalty to Mercedes. Salo then further added, “However, there must be a reason why he made the decision to move. In light of the current power relations, it wouldn’t make sense otherwise.”
Salo’s point makes sense, given that Red Bull [not a likely destination for Hamilton] is the dominant force currently in F1. Meanwhile, both Mercedes and Ferrari are at similar junctures in terms of their car performance. So, the 57-year-old thinks that maybe Hamilton knows some insider insights on the Maranello team’s future prospects.
The #44 driver’s Ferrari move news came just a day after his seat fitting at the Mercedes factory. Hence, the timing of Hamilton’s decision seemed strange from the outset. However, with Mercedes’ failure to provide him with a car to fight for the title, the move makes sense.
On top of this, there were several issues between the Briton and the Brackley team’s perspectives on their car development. Hamilton’s qualms were not properly addressed about the W14’s flawed car concept. This may have resulted in him taking the harsh call.
How Mercedes ignoring Lewis Hamilton in 2023 backfired?
As Season 6 of Drive to Survive nears closer, the insider view of what was going on at Mercedes in 2023 is unfolding. According to Crash.net, Mercedes engineers ignored inputs from Lewis Hamilton quite explicitly, as the Briton has cited it to Netflix’s showrunners.
Hamilton said, “I remember they said, like, we know what we’re doing, you’re wrong. And that was definitely an interesting moment.”
Eventually, the seven-time champion’s feedback on the W14’s instability proved right. Mercedes engineers certainly made a mistake and it backfired as the team struggled to fight for podiums consistently throughout 2023.
Regardless, none of that matters now as Hamilton has shocked Mercedes and everyone by deciding to jump ship to Ferrari in 2025. His decision has certainly caught team boss Toto Wolff off guard. The Austrian was unaware of his lead driver heading for the exit door, as they had just signed his extension six months ago.
Wolff cited that given it was a short-term deal, he anticipated that Hamilton may part ways with Mercedes. But he never expected it to be so soon. Still, the 52-year-old assured that they respect Hamilton’s decision.
Wolff certainly wished for Hamilton to win his eighth title at Mercedes, that too before the 2026 regulations change. However, with their current struggles, it never seemed likely that they can provide him with a winning car before 2026.
On this, a teaser clip from Drive to Survive Season 6 is doing the rounds on social media. It shows Hamilton telling Wolff that he doesn’t have time to stick around till ’26 for a winning car.
Chasing his 8th title, the Briton reasoned that while his boss can wait for many years, he “can’t”. Some fans unsurprisingly connected it to his Ferrari switch and his short-term contract extension.
