Critics of Lewis Hamilton as he joins Ferrari should be “careful”, as “motivation” will reawaken the form of 2021.

That is the warning coming from Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko, who does however see a perceived long-standing weakness of Hamilton’s game which could prove critical.

Marko: Lewis Hamilton ‘can continue where he left off in 2021’

After becoming a record-equalling seven-time World Champion as a Mercedes driver, as well as setting F1 records such as most grands prix wins (105), pole positions (104) and podiums (202), Hamilton called an end to that association at 12 years, agreeing a multi-year deal to switch to Ferrari.

Hamilton secured his seventh World Championship back in 2020, his era of F1 dominance ended the following year by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in what went down as one of the greatest title battles ever witnessed. Unable to feature in that title scene since, Hamilton joins Ferrari looking to re-emerge as a contender for that record eighth crown.

However, the F1 icon joins Ferrari with doubters to silence after a challenging final season at Mercedes, one which saw him thrashed 19-5 by team-mate George Russell in the qualifying head-to-head, with Hamilton exclaiming “I’m definitely not fast anymore” after one of those defeats in Qatar.

And in an interview with OE24, it was put to Marko that Hamilton’s critics are saying he is fulfilling his childhood dream of racing for Ferrari too late, as his best days have been and gone.

“I would be careful with that,” Marko retorted.

“If Hamilton is motivated, he can continue where he left off in 2021. The race to catch up that he delivered back then was impressive.

“However, the Ferrari has to be competitive.”

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And even if Ferrari do produce a title-contending car in the SF-25, there remains a key unanswered question with Hamilton which Marko feels could play a critical role in the Brit’s title hopes.

That is whether Hamilton can rebuild some momentum in qualifying trim, as he goes up against new team-mate Charles Leclerc, regarded as one of the fastest drivers anywhere on the F1 grid over one lap.

“And Hamilton has to get qualifying right,” Marko continued. “That was never his strength.

“If he loses two or three tenths to Leclerc, he always has to work his way up a few places on the grid. That puts a strain on the tyres.”

But as the F1 2025 season-opener in Melbourne on March 16 draws ever closer, the potential prospect of a fresh Hamilton versus Verstappen battle for the F1 crown hangs invitingly, as Verstappen looks to secure his fifth World Championship in a row.

However, if we do see Verstappen versus Hamilton part two, Marko says Red Bull has the “best driver”.

Asked if he believes Hamilton could challenge Verstappen for the title in F1 2025, Marko replied: “We’ll know after the tests, when we see how good the Ferrari is.

“In any case, Max is the best driver.”

Hamilton has already enjoyed time behind the wheel for Ferrari, using up his limit of four TPC [testing of previous car] days, while the SF-25 was launched on February 19, followed by a shakedown run at Fiorano with Leclerc kicking-off proceedings on Wednesday morning before handing the SF-25 over to Hamilton.

The process of getting to grips with Ferrari machinery did bring one bump in the road for Hamilton, who suffered a crash at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya during a three-day Ferrari TPC test, an incident which he made reference to.

“I’ve enjoyed the testing that we’ve had,” Hamilton said at the SF-25 launch.

“I’ve had to find the limits of the car as quick as possible, because I only have a handful of days – and I definitely did that!

“It’s just been fun. Each week has been so different.

“There’s still a long road ahead of us and a lot of challenges, for sure, but I think we’ve covered as much as we could possibly cover in the small time we’ve had so far.”

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