Formula 1

“But you can’t say to a Lewis Hamilton, ‘we’re finishing this’” : Toto Wolff on the Briton leaving Mercedes Lewis Hamilton made his move to Ferrari this season, after a decade-long stint with Mercedes, where he managed to win six world championship titles. The Briton has not had the best of starts at Ferrari, currently ranked sixth in the drivers championship, 42 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that Lewis Hamilton made the correct move last season. He believes that like Lewis, even Mercedes needed a change, and had to move on from their star driver. He also explained the rationale behind Lewis’ move to Ferrari, stating that they had been more competitive than Mercedes. Currently only 12 points separates Ferrari from Mercedes in the Constructors championship, with both Ferrari drivers having a DNF to their name in Netherlands. “All the reasons he had to go to Ferrari are still valid today,” Wolff told the media. He needed a change of environment, and we needed a change of environment. We weren’t as competitive as we would have wished. Ferrari looked better. Every racing driver wants to race in Ferrari. He likes the colour red anyway. The deal that was on the table was very good,” said Wolff. “These reasons are still valid today. Now, he’s going against one of the best drivers also, of the younger ones, who’s been in the team for a long time, with a car that drives totally different than ours.“ “We were prepared to take a risk” : Toto Wolff Toto Wolff also revealed that they were certainly going to sign Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while figuring out the Lewis Hamilton situation the sidelines. However, with Lewis making a decision to leave for Ferrari, made everyone’s life easier. He also stated that the team would have a hard time moving on from Lewis Hamilton, and he would absolutely dread to have that conversation with him. Lewis Hamilton has achieved the pinnacle of the sport driving for Mercedes, winning six world championship titles in as many as seven seasons, which includes four consecutive titles from 2017-2020. “We were prepared to take a risk,” Wolff said. “But you can’t say to a Lewis Hamilton, ‘we’re finishing this.’ So, he did it. And that’s how it was meant to be. And that’s the trajectory we’re on today. Very difficult. That would have been a scenario that, for me, from a personal perspective and as Mercedes, would have been something that we would have dreaded to have this conversation,” he added.

“The abuse that the poor guy [Gianpiero Lambiase]’s taken and you never write about it” : Lewis Hamilton aims cheeky dig at Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton had a disappointing start to his F1 career with Ferrari, as he finished P10 in his first race in Melbourne. An incorrect strategy pushed Lewis Hamilton down the pecking order, with Charles Leclerc also managing just a P8 finish. Over the course of the race, Lewis Hamilton was heard having some uncomfortable conversations with his race engineer. The Briton has downplayed any sort of issues between himself and his race engineer, Adami. He believes that the issue has been blown out of proportion, as both of them are still getting used to one another. He also placed his trust on Adami, who has worked with two world champions in the past. “I mean, naturally, everyone overegged,” Hamilton is quoted as saying by Sky Sports. “It was literally just a back-and-forth. I was very polite in how I had suggested it. I said: ‘leave it to me, please’. “I wasn’t saying ‘F you’. I wasn’t swearing. So it was just at that point, I was really struggling with the car and I needed full focus on these couple of things. We’re getting to know each other. He’s obviously had two champions or more in the past and there’s no issues between us still.” “Ultimately, we’re literally just getting to know each other,” he added. “So afterwards I’m like: ‘hey bro, I don’t need that bit of information but if you want to give me this, this is the place I’d like to do it’. This is how I’m feeling in the car and, at these points, this is when I do and don’t need the information’. “That’s what it’s about. There are no issues, it’s done with a smiley face and we move forwards.” Lewis Hamilton draws comparisons to Max Verstappen’s heated exchanges with race engineer Lewis Hamilton aimed a jibe at Max Verstappen, stating that the Dutchman has had a history of heated conversations with his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. Lewis Hamilton sympathized with Lambiase stating that he has had to deal with way worse radio calls. However, he believes that the media never made it a point when it was related to Max Verstappen. The seven-time world champion was surprised to see the attention his radio calls were getting over the last week. “Go and listen to the radio calls with others and their engineers, far worse,” Hamilton said. “But unfortunately, you make… the conversation that Max has with an engineer over the years, the abuse that the poor guy [Gianpiero Lambiase]’s taken and you never write about it, but you wrote about the smallest little discussion I had with mine.” In a shocking turn of events, Lewis Hamilton finished on pole in the sprint qualifying in China. The Briton just pipped his former rival Max Verstappen by the barest of margins, as the duo will once again start on the front row. This was a great recovery from Ferrari, after their poor start to the season last week in Australia.

“With Lewis joining, that chance only got increased” : Carlos Sainz on Ferrari winning the World Championship Lewis Hamilton announced his mega move to Ferrari last year, as he leaves Mercedes after spending almost over a decade. The Briton will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, who spent four seasons driving alongside his teammate Charles Leclerc. Now, Carlos Sainz will move to Williams, as Lewis Hamilton will partner Charles Leclerc at Ferrari. The Spaniard stated that he had no personal experience racing alongside Lewis Hamilton, however, he believes that the Briton will do well at his new team. Carlos Sainz believes that the credentials Lewis Hamilton brings with him will just add to Ferrari’s strength in the coming years. The veteran has won seven world championship titles, which includes six titles at Mercedes. “I’ve never been team-mates with Lewis, so I don’t know what he’s capable of doing. I’ve never seen his data. I’ve seen Charles [Leclerc] and I know how good Charles is, but I’ve never been team-mates with Lewis,” said Sainz. “And the only way you can more or less evaluate a driver is when you’re their team-mate and you see what they’re capable of doing. “When I judge by results and his background and what he’s achieved, I can only say there is a very high chance that obviously he is going to be competitive at Ferrari.” Carlos Sainz believes that Ferrari can win the world championship Carlos Sainz believes that Ferrari were in a good position to win the world championship during the last couple of years. The Spaniard also believes that Charles Leclerc is well positioned to win his first title in the near future. Carlos Sainz reckons that with the addition of Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari are only going to get stronger, and closer to the world championship title. “I can only say when I left Ferrari, I did feel the team – both Ferrari and Charles – were ready to fight for a World Championship. And with Lewis joining, that chance only got increased.” Lewis Hamilton has struggled over the course of the last three seasons, which has been majorly due to Mercedes’ inability to keep pace with the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren. The Briton claimed his first race victory in almost three years at the Silverstone GP last year. He went on to win the Belgian GP as well, which helped him have a respectable season. The seven-time champion will be expecting more from Ferrari this season, as he sets his sight on a record breaking eighth world title. Also Read: “Lewis can’t do that. He’s never been able to do that” : Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf places heavy criticism over Lewis Hamilton

Former F1 driver says it would be the “Greatest thing that has ever happened in Formula 1” if Lewis Hamilton wins his eighth WDC title at Ferrari Lewis Hamilton announced his sensational move to Ferrari last season, as he joins the Italian team after spending over a decade at Mercedes. The Briton won six world championship titles during his reign at the Silver Arrows, as he now moves to their rivals’ garage. Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger explained the rationale behind the Briton’s move to Ferrari. He stated that the veteran needed a new challenge, given that he had spent so many years at Mercedes. Moreover, the Silver Arrows were not really competitive in the last couple of seasons. “I think Hamilton needs new motivation. He has had two problems: the Mercedes has only been a winning car on exceptional occasions, and he has now been in the same team for so long that only a change of scenery will help,” Berger said. However, Berger does believe that the Briton will struggle against Charles Leclerc’s speed at Ferrari. The Monaco based driver has been a part of the Ferrari setup for quite a while, and he will be itching to win his first championship next season. “Finishing fifth is not a result that motivates Hamilton. He’ll have to grit his teeth again at Ferrari and could well be at his best once more. On the other hand, I think he’ll struggle against Leclerc’s speed. It’s going to be a very tight race.” Gerhard Berger backs Ferrari to win at least one title next season Gerhard Berger believes that it would be one of the greatest things in the sport if Lewis Hamilton wins his eighth world championship title at Ferrari this season. He believes that Ferrari were consistently fast last season, and backs them to win at least one championship this season. “Yes. If Hamilton could become World Champion in a Ferrari, it would be the greatest thing that has ever happened in Formula 1 in terms of marketing. I would put my money on Ferrari this season. I can’t say whether Hamilton or Leclerc will win the Drivers‘ or Constructors’ World Championship, but they will win a title. That’s my personal impression,” said Berger. “Ferrari was almost always fast last year, with a few slip-ups. I trust Fred Vasseur to get this volatility out of the system. It took a while, but I think they are very close,” he added. Gerhard Berger places his trust in Fred Vasseur, as he believes he can inspire Ferrari to be world champions once again. He also stated that Ferrari have a great team in place, in terms of both drivers, and the engineering team. Hence, Berger believes that his former team head into the season as one of the favorites. “They are well positioned in terms of engine and chassis and have top drivers. Vasseur makes a good impression. He is calm, thoughtful, always on point, and he delivers.” “That has been the case at all the stations in the motorsport world where he has been so far. It was a good decision by Ferrari to sign him. And it was clear that it would take a year or two for his work to pay off.” “Now I have the feeling that it’s starting to work. I also think it’s great that he got Hamilton. Vasseur will bring Ferrari back to the top.” Also Read: “Lewis can’t do that. He’s never been able to do that” : Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf places heavy criticism over Lewis Hamilton

“I don’t think Lewis will get the same attention at Ferrari” : Bernie Ecclestone Lewis Hamilton sent shockwaves through the F1 community, when he announced his move to Ferrari early last year. The Briton spent over a decade at the Silver Arrows, winning six world championship titles. The veteran will now drive alongside Charles Leclerc at Ferrari for the next couple of seasons. F1 legend Bernie Ecclestone has voiced his concerns regarding Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, stating that he will not get the same attention at Ferrari. He believes that Charles Leclerc will be the preferred driver at Ferrari, given that he has already been with the team for so long.  “I don’t think Lewis will get the same attention at Ferrari,” Ecclestone told The Telegraph. “Firstly, the team are happy with Charles Leclerc, his team-mate. Leclerc speaks their language [he’s fluent in Italian], so they’ll be looking after him,” Bernie said. “Even if Lewis does well, there’ll still be a lot of enemies” : Bernie Ecclestone Bernie Ecclestone stated that even if Lewis Hamilton does well at Ferrari, he will have a lot of enemies. The F1 legend stated that the Briton has suddenly arrived into the Ferrari garage, which might not go down well with Charles Leclerc’s team.  “Even if Lewis does well, there’ll still be a lot of enemies, because he has suddenly arrived,” he added. It is interesting to see if Lewis Hamilton can integrate himself into his new team this season. Time and again, the Briton has shown his abilities as a team player, and with experience on his side, he will certainly be an asset for Ferrari. The past couple of seasons have been very challenging for Lewis Hamilton. The British driver has struggled to get victories under his belt, which has been majorly due to Red Bull’s dominance, and Mercedes’ decline in the past three years. However, he will be seeing this move as an opportunity to claim his eighth world championship toilet. Also Read: “Lewis can’t do that. He’s never been able to do that” : Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf places heavy criticism over Lewis Hamilton     

“Lewis was 29 when he joined Mercedes” : George Russell backs himself to succeed as Mercedes lead driver George Russell will now take up the role of a lead driver at Mercedes next season. The Briton has been a part of the Silver Arrows garage for three seasons now, as he has enjoyed his fair share of success. Now with the departure of his teammate Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes, the young driver will take the role of a lead driver. George Russell joined Mercedes in 2022 from Williams, as he drove alongside seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. The Briton is excited to start a new chapter, and believes that he is more than capable of leading the line for Mercedes. George Russell stated that he is entering a mid-stage in his racing career, where he is expected to challenge for world championship titles. Lewis Hamilton completed his mega move to Ferrari last year, as he will now drive alongside Charles Leclerc. “I am entering a new chapter in my career. I am ending my beginning and entering the mid-stage,” Russell claimed. George Russell backs himself to taste unprecedented success George Russell stated that he joined Mercedes only when he was 20, comparing his rise at such an early age to the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. The latter two driver started tasting success in their early 30s, once they had significant number of years of experience. For instance, Lewis Hamilton joined Mercedes when he was 29, winning six world championship titles in a span of just seven years. Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher dominated the grid in his early 30s with Ferrari, winning five world championship titles in addition to his two. “Lewis was 29 when he joined Mercedes [in 2013] and started winning all those championships, and Michael [Schumacher] was early 30s at Ferrari [where he won five titles]. Nowadays, everyone starts younger and younger—my debut came at 20. But I feel ready now to fulfill roles at the team, and the most important part of that is driving as quickly as possible,” Russell added. Also Read: “Lewis can’t do that. He’s never been able to do that” : Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf places heavy criticism over Lewis Hamilton

“His peak might be behind him” : Martin Brundle makes bold Lewis Hamilton statement Lewis Hamilton has now officially become a Ferrari driver, as he ends his 11-year stint as a Mercedes driver. The Briton achieved a lot of success at Mercedes, winning six world championship titles taking his totally tally to seven. However, he has not been able to achieve such heights in the final three years of his Mercedes career, failing to win an unprecedented eighth title. Martin Brundle has expressed his fears over Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, which will now see him drive alongside Charles Leclerc. He believes that the driver may be past his prime, given that he has had his fair share of struggles over the course of the last three seasons. However, Martin Brundle acknowledged Lewis Hamilton’s effort in finishing fourth in his final race as a Mercedes driver in Abu Dhabi. He overtook his teammate George Russell on the final lap to end his season on a high note. “Tremendous drive, a bit like Las Vegas as well, wasn’t it? Where he came back through the field and just showed a lot of pace, a lot of determination,” said Brundle. Martin Brundle believes Lewis Hamilton is past his prime Martin Brundle believes that Lewis Hamilton’s best years might be behind him, given that he has turned 40 in January this year. “Plenty of people [are asking], ‘Is Lewis over the hill? Is his peak ahead of him or behind him? ‘ His absolute peak, it might be behind him as he turns 40 in January.” Many former F1 drivers and pundits have questioned Ferrari’s decision to axe Carlos Sainz in favor of a move for Lewis Hamilton. The Briton will now race alongside Charles Leclerc, who looks to win his first World Championship title in the near future. Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur has a huge job on his hands this season, as he needs to make sure that both drivers get on well with each other. Additionally, he would hope that the two drivers keep the team’s interests above their personal quest for a world championship title. Also Read: “Lewis can’t do that. He’s never been able to do that” : Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf places heavy criticism over Lewis Hamilton

“It was absolutely suicidal to get rid of Carlos” : Eddie Jordan criticizes Ferrari for getting rid of the Spaniard Lewis Hamilton has officially ended his reign at Mercedes, as he finally becomes a Ferrari driver in 2025. The seven-time world champion will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, as he will now drive alongside Charles Leclerc for the iconic team. However, Eddie Jordan believes that it was a suicidal decision by Ferrari to ditch Carlos Sainz in order to make way for Lewis Hamilton. Eddie Jordan stated that Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc forged a good partnership with each other over the course of the last four seasons. Additionally, the Spaniard was properly integrated into the Ferrari system and the atmosphere in the team was very friendly and cordial. Eddie Jordan believes that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur will now have to think about integrating Lewis Hamilton in the team, and make sure there are no ego clashes between the two drivers. “We’re on the same page here, because my FFS is, I say to John Elkann, who’s the chairman of that group, what the f**k was he thinking about in getting rid of Carlos, when he had a very happy, friendly, structured team that knew how to work together. The drivers got on well together,” said Jordan. “Fred Vasseur had a real opportunity to bring this team great, great success. Now he has to start thinking about gelling and mending away, that he can get a new member of the team, egos, everything involved.“ Eddie Jordan believes Ferrari should have stayed with Carlos Sainz Despite his concerns over Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, the 76-year-old believes that the Briton is among the nicest people to work on the grid. Hence, Eddie Jordan is confident that Ferrari would not have a problem here. “Lewis is a particularly nice person. I’m not sure there’s many nicer people on the grid than Lewis Hamilton, so I don’t think he’ll have a problem there. However, my FFS goes to John Elkann of Ferrari for even authorizing, signing off on that deal. It was absolutely suicidal to get rid of Carlos,” Eddie Jordan said, as quoted by Crash.net. Lewis Hamilton will look to capture an elusive eighth world championship title next season in Ferrari. The last couple of years have been tough for the veteran driver, who claimed six world championship titles during his reign at Mercedes. The Silver Arrows have fallen behind the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull when it comes to car performance, which has also affected Lewis Hamilton’s bid for a record eighth title. Also Read: “Lewis can’t do that. He’s never been able to do that” : Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf places heavy criticism over Lewis Hamilton