F1 News: Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari Reasoning - "Competitive Package"
Damon Hill, a former Formula 1 world champion and F1 pundit, revealed that Lewis Hamilton carefully assessed Ferrari's performance before deciding to leave Mercedes for the 2025 season. He evidently found Ferrari's prospects beyond 2023 compelling, leading him to take a leap of faith after a 12-year tenure with the Brackley outfit.
Key Takeaways:
- Lewis Hamilton carefully evaluated Ferrari's performance before deciding to leave Mercedes for the 2025 season, driven by Ferrari's promising prospects beyond 2023.
- The 2024 season marks Hamilton's final stint with Mercedes, as he confirmed his move to Ferrari despite Mercedes' assurances of competitiveness.
- Ferrari's success in the previous season, including a Grand Prix win and multiple pole positions, along with Damon Hill's analysis, suggest that Ferrari's growing competitiveness influenced Hamilton's decision to switch teams.
The upcoming 2024 season signifies Hamilton's final association with Mercedes. Despite Mercedes' assurances of developing a car competitive with Red Bull, the 39-year-old driver confirmed the switch to Ferrari after two years without a win.
Besides Red Bull, Ferrari was the only team to win a Grand Prix last year, with Carlos Sainz emerging victorious in Singapore. Additionally, they clinched seven pole positions, with Charles Leclerc accounting for five and Sainz for two. Notably, three of Leclerc's pole positions came in the final five rounds, suggesting a promising future for Ferrari.
Hill suggested that there's definitely more that Hamilton looked into, apart from the brand value and legacy associated with Ferrari. Discussing on Sky Sports F1, he said:
“This decision? We know it’s a given, the Ferrari benefits of the brand, and the history.
“But I think there’s more to this. Which is: I thought there was evidence that Ferrari were starting to solidify as a competitive package.
“They were starting to put together the components, and they were starting to get results.
“If you had a choice between Mercedes giving you the same equipment, and Ferrari?
“I’d rather go to Ferrari and try something different.”
The statements come from the former world champion after Mercedes secured the second position in the Constructors' Championship. However, considering Ferrari's close trailing by only three points, it's evident that if there had been one more Grand Prix before the season's end, Ferrari could have potentially surpassed Mercedes.