Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton is moving from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025 and triple title-winner Sir Jackie Stewart has given his verdict on that huge move
Sir Jackie Stewart thinks it will be “more difficult” for Lewis Hamilton to achieve his goals by joining Ferrari at the age of 40.
The biggest Formula 1 driver move since Hamilton joined Mercedes in the first place was announced earlier this year, before the current season began. After 11 years, he is leaving the Silver Arrows to fulfil a childhood dream of racing in the famous red Ferrari cars.
More than that, though, he still believes he has unfinished business on the championship front. Having been cruelly denied a record-breaking eighth title in 2021, Hamilton decided that the move the Maranello gives him his best chance of achieving that goal before retirement.
Sir Jackie Stewart is confident that his fellow F1 legend still has what it takes to do it. But he has warned Hamilton that it will be difficult to find immediate success after such a seismic change beyond a driver’s 40th birthday.
Speaking on the RacingNews365 Podcast, the Scot said: “It’s more difficult for him to do it at 40 years than it would have been if he had been 25 or 30, but he’s still got the skill, as is obvious at the present time, such as the British Grand Prix this year. It’s unusual. But at some point he has to retire as a racing driver, and he feels that time has not yet arrived. And I can understand that.”
Hamilton put pen to paper on a multi-year deal to join his new team to show that he has no intention of retirement just yet. Giving his verdict on what may have tempted Hamilton to make the move to Maranello, Sir Jackie recalled his own experience of almost signing for the Italian team several decades ago.
He said: “I’m somewhat surprised by that, because of becoming 40 and going into a team that, at the present time, has very recently become very competitive. It went down quite a lot – there have been many management structures within the Ferrari F1 team, which is disruptive.
“They’ve now got a more stable situation around them and Lewis is seeing… Hardly any other brand in Formula 1 has had anything like the same continuity as Ferrari have had for such a long time.
“I nearly drove for Ferrari – in fact, I committed to drive for Ferrari in a contract, and I had to tell them that it was no longer practical because of the manner in which it had become an almost everyday change at Mr Ferrari’s moment.
“So I never did drive for Ferrari, but when I went there I was taken aback. It’s so impressive, the spirit of the place was amazing. And I’m sure that’s what Lewis will experience too.”
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