Max Verstappen believes Lewis Hamilton can become a world championship contender again at Ferrari – the deciding factor is whether the Scuderia builds a competitive car.
Not all experts in the Formula 1 paddock are sure whether it is the right decision for Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz with record world champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025. In some cases, there has even been fierce criticism of the Scuderia recently.
For example, long-time Formula One designer Gary Anderson explained in the podcast Formula for Success: “If they see Lewis as the ‘god’ who will get them out of all their problems, then I think it’s madness.”
And others also believe that Ferrari unnecessarily ended the well-functioning partnership between Sainz and Charles Leclerc in order to get a Hamilton, who will be turning 40 in a few weeks, in return.
Ex-Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, who once brought Sainz to Maranello, also stated in an interview with Corriere della Sera: “I wouldn’t have brought Lewis because Ferrari had focused on other drivers.”
However, current team principal Frederic Vasseur, who has worked with the Briton in the past, defends the decision, emphasizing: “I am convinced that Lewis, with his own experience, with 18 years in Formula 1 and several titles, will bring a real boost.”
And Max Verstappen, who delivered one of the most exciting World Championship fights in the history of Formula 1 with Hamilton in 2021, meanwhile believes that the Briton himself could benefit from his move to Maranello.
Was Hamilton no longer motivated at Mercedes?
“Maybe it’s good for him to have a little change of scenery and new motivation,” the now four-time world champion tells The Mirror. However, it is “difficult to say” whether Hamilton would then be able to compete for the world title again.
Since he lost the 2021 World Championship duel to Verstappen under controversial circumstances at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton’s record has been modest. In the three years since, he has only managed two more victories and a third-place finish in 2023 as his best result.
Whether Hamilton will become a championship contender again at the Scuderia depends, according to Verstappen, “also on how competitive Ferrari is. I have the feeling that when Lewis has a good car, he is naturally more motivated,” says the Dutchman.
Or to put it another way: if Mercedes had had a better car in the years since 2022, Hamilton’s record would have been better in his opinion. Because in the past, the Briton sometimes seemed unmotivated when he was only competing for positions at the back of the field.
Time will ultimately tell whether it will really be the “dream marriage” between Hamilton and Ferrari that is hoped for – or whether critics like Anderson and Binotto will be proven right in the end.
