Lewis Hamilton has brushed aside Eddie Jordan’s criticism of Ferrari’s decision to sign him instead of retaining Carlos Sainz, saying he doesn’t feel the need to respond to “older, ultimately, white men”.

Hamilton has embarked on a new era as a Ferrari driver, the seven-time World Champion joining the Maranello team in one final throw of the dice as he seeks to win his elusive eighth World title.

Lewis Hamilton: I’ve always welcomed the negativity

His switch from silver to red was announced on February 1st last year, just 24 hours after he informed his Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff that he’d activated the option in his one-plus-one contract to leave after the first season.

But as the many celebrated the news, one man was left to pick up the pieces: Carlos Sainz.

The Spaniard had been in talks to renew with Ferrari when he was informed that he was to be replaced by Hamilton at the end of the F1 2024 season.

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It was the “FFS” moment of the year for former Red Bull driver David Coulthard.

He said of the Formula for Success podcast: “For me, I think the FFS moment of the year was Lewis signing to Ferrari. I just never saw that coming.”

Putting the question to his fellow podcast host Eddie Jordan, the former team boss laid into Ferrari’s decision to sign the 40-year-old Briton.

“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.

“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 authorising, signing off on that deal. It was absolutely suicidal to get rid of Carlos.”

Hamilton has dismissed the 76-year-old’s criticism.

“I’ve always welcomed the negativity,” the seven-time World Champion told Time magazine. “I never, ever reply to any of the older, ultimately, white men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing.

“How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that.”

Jordan isn’t the only F1 personality who has had his say on Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari with former Ferrari driver Jacky Ickx claiming Ferrari signed him “probably for marketing reasons”.

He added: “We have to remember that there are many important aspects to F1, and not just politics. There are also economics, marketing.”

Ferrari chairman John Elkann responded to that, saying: “I think it’s really unfair to Lewis, some of the comments saying, ‘This is a marketing operation’.

“Truth said, Lewis doesn’t need that. Ferrari doesn’t need that. What we need to do is win championships and do great things on the track. If that happens, what we can do outside of the track, in some ways, takes care of itself. There’s unlimited possibilities.”

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