Lewis Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025, which will see a 12-year association between the two come to an end. The Silver Arrows failing to provide Hamilton with a car capable of competing for the Championship for three years is believed to be one of the reasons behind Hamilton making this switch.
Former Ferrari boss Peter Windsor blames Mercedes for Hamilton’s exit. Per Windsor, Hamilton should have left Mercedes right after the onset of the 2022 regulations when the outfit first started showing signs of decline.
In a conversation with Cameron F1 on YouTube, Windsor said:
“In the case of Mercedes, they needed to have done a much better job for Lewis from Abu Dhabi onwards. Better car, the right teammate, and look after him, and because of all the things that happened, I’m surprised it took Lewis this long to leave, to be honest.”
Hamilton lost out on the 2021 World Championship in heartbreaking fashion to Max Verstappen on the final lap in Abu Dhabi. He wanted to come back with vengeance and win his eighth Championship the very next year. Unfortunately, Mercedes’ poor mechanical package destroyed his chances and he spent the next two seasons languishing in the midfield while competing for the occasional podium result.
Furthermore, Mercedes brought in a world-class teammate in George Russell for Hamilton to compete against. This didn’t make life easy for the Stevenage-born driver, further contributing to his decision to move to Maranello.
Previously, Windsor also mentioned how he doesn’t have any sympathy for Mercedes. The 72-year-old feels that Wolff did not put much effort into helping Hamilton win the World Championship he believed he lost in Abu Dhabi.
Lewis Hamilton could have been with Ferrari in 2024
Windsor’s aforementioned reasons could have contributed immensely to Hamilton’s departure but the seven-time World Champion won’t be dwelling on the past. Hamilton faces a new challenge at Ferrari, a team poised to become Championship contenders in the coming years.
Per reports, Hamilton had an opportunity to join Ferrari in 2024 itself. This would have put Mercedes in a bad position, considering how difficult Wolff is finding it to replace Hamilton despite having time on his hands.
Presumably, Hamilton did not have a choice but to wait for 2025 as Carlos Sainz remains contracted to Ferrari until the end of 2024. The 39-year-old’s move to the Italian stable is one of the biggest driver transfers of all time. The contract he reportedly signed with Ferrari is worth over $400 million.
Ferrari boss John Elkann also agreed to make Hamilton the team’s brand ambassador and guarantee him a role even after he decides to retire from F1. For Hamilton, however, the most appealing thought and expectation will be the idea of competing for race wins and potentially the Championship once again.
