Ferrari have been warned that they have made a significant mistake in signing Lewis Hamilton as their driver from 2025.
Former F1 team founder Giancarlo Minardi believes that Ferrari have made a mistake by signing Lewis Hamilton for 2025. The Brit announced earlier this month that he would be leaving Mercedes in favour of joining the Italian team, sending shockwaves through the world of Formula One.
Hamilton agreed to extend his contract with the Silver Arrows for two more years in the previous season, leading to the assumption that he would eventually retire as a Mercedes driver.
Nevertheless, amid rumors suggesting his inclination to switch teams, Ferrari disclosed that they had reached a deal for him to join their team in 2025.
Ferrari had made an effort to secure Hamilton’s services before, which is why the team’s decision to sign him is seen as a strong indication of their plans. However, there are doubts among some people about whether replacing Carlos Sainz with Hamilton is the right choice.
Minardi is among those to cast doubt on Ferrari’s decision, telling Quotidiano: “If we talk about marketing, it’s a brilliant operation, so hats off to John Elkann. But if we talk about Formula 1 then the situation changes.
There are different dimensions. I am not naive, I understand the reasons that I will define as a commercial of the great agreement between a seven-time champion of the world and the Lady in Red. It is a meeting between myth and legend. However, I, speaking instead of motorsport and that’s it, wouldn’t have taken someone like Hamilton.”
Hamilton will be 40 when he joins Ferrari, and, although he has shown no signs of slowing down physically, some have raised concerns about whether signing a driver towards the end of their career at a time when immense improvement is required is the correct decision.
Minardi is confident that Hamilton’s age will not pose any problems. He asserts that the importance of age is negligible and points out that even Alonso, who is older than Hamilton, remains highly capable in the sport. Minardi believes that Hamilton continues to be competitive, raising the question of whether Ferrari’s past losses were truly due to the driver’s fault. No, the lack of titles for a generation is not solely due to the drivers’ actions.
Therefore, having Hamilton as a driver does not ensure success. Sebastian Vettel’s presence also did not guarantee it.
In Formula One, it is crucial to have a car that is capable of winning.
Just as one doesn’t construct a house starting from the roof, but from the foundation.
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