Despite the anticipation and fanfare surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, many experts and paddock insiders have also raised question marks about this alliance. Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone is the latest to cast doubt about the same, claiming that the 40-year-old will not last long at Ferrari.
“He won’t last that long,” Ecclestone said in reference to the two-year contract Hamilton signed with Ferrari. But the Tifosi don’t resonate with Ecclestone’s comments.
Hamilton has been welcomed with rapturous support from Ferrari fans. His first day at Maranello saw fans swarming the team’s facilities to get a glimpse of the seven-time world champion. Further, his first outing as a Ferrari driver at Fiorano was witnessed by more than 1,000 fans.
RacingNews365 reported that fans were in agreement that they did not care if Hamilton fails at Ferrari. Rather, they were amazed that the team had signed Hamilton on board. In fact, one fan even said, “It is a historic moment for us Italians.”
Lewis Hamilton looks like he’s genuinely amazed at all the love he’s receiving from the Tifosi after his first Ferrari drive. Surreal moment.
Monasteroandrea_ pic.twitter.com/Hj6FpiW470
— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) January 22, 2025
But Formula 1 is a fickle sport, and there have been differing opinions in the paddock about the #44 driver’s abilities.
Will Hamilton succeed at Ferrari?
The 40-year-old’s contemporaries have absolute faith in the British racing ace’s abilities. Max Verstappen and Hamilton’s 2025 teammate Charles Leclerc are both of the opinion that the seven-time champion will succeed with Ferrari. “I don’t think he [Hamilton] will ever lose it,” said Verstappen as quoted by PlanetF1.
But the Briton’s performances in the ground-effect era have painted a very different picture. Despite flashes of brilliance, it is a fact that Hamilton has struggled to adapt to the current generation of F1 cars. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff too admitted to the same in an interview earlier this year.
“This generation of car doesn’t suit Lewis. He brakes late and drives the car aggressively into the corners. The car and the tires sometimes don’t forgive that. It’s more noticeable in qualifying than in the race,” the Austrian said to explain why Hamilton struggled at Mercedes in the past three seasons. Having said that, the Ferrari car is a completely different concept to what he has been used to at the Silver Arrows.
Now, only time will tell if Hamilton can end Ferrari’s 17-year drought and bring the championship back to the Italian outfit, an achievement that will surely be the perfect response to his critics and the perfect gift to the Tifosi, who have given him nothing but love since he has moved base to Maranello.
