Fans and experts were left surprised when the terms of Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Ferrari became public. More than anything, it was the salary figure that caught them all off guard — $100 million. That figure is more than double what the seven-time F1 champion was earning at Mercedes ($45 million).
The eye-watering amount led many to question whether he was even worth it. After all, at 40 years of age, Hamilton is at the twilight of his career. Some would even argue that he is past the prime that earned him a title with McLaren and six with Mercedes. Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle, though, believes Hamilton is worth every penny.
Brundle recently appeared for an interview with Sky Sports where the host asked him, “Is he [Hamilton] worth the money?” Without skipping a beat, the 65-year-old responded, “Unquestionably.”
“Two of the biggest names in the 75-year-old history of Formula One. Some would say the biggest two names, Ferrari and Hamilton, getting together. Lewis dressed all in the red, the scarlet of the prancing horse. Absolutely an extraordinary story. The story that will keep giving,” he added.
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Perhaps referring to the 10 percent ($7 billion) surge in Ferrari’s share price after the announcement of his arrival, Brundle believes Hamilton has already proved to be worth the money. However, it’s the story of the two biggest entities in F1 coming together to restore the lost glory that is more appealing to the legendary commentator.
Brundle weighs in on the challenges Hamilton will face at Ferrari
Ferrari may have recuperated the money for Hamilton’s salary and made a fortune on top of it. However, the partnership will only be dubbed successful if it results in a title win for either or both sides. For that to happen, Hamilton will have to overcome several obstacles that Brundle listed.
“A bit of a challenge though because he’s got to, in a different language perhaps, understand where all the green buttons are in a team. He’s left behind Bono, his famous engineer, and the comfort zone of Mercedes. So, it won’t be that easy,” he further explained.
Brundle, however, believes Hamilton is up to the task. That is courtesy of his smart move to rope back in his former trusted aide Angela Cullen. The New Zealand-based personal trainer essentially played the role of a personal assistant for Hamilton until parting ways in the middle of the 2023 season.
Brundle counted Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc to be among the “big challenges” the Briton will face. The Monegasque knows the team inside-out and has won eight races with the team. However, if the Italian outfit can produce a championship-winning car, Brundle has no doubt Hamilton can emerge victorious.
