Lewis Hamilton’s former teammate says he’s ‘100%’ worried about ‘painful’ experience at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of stepping into a Ferrari Formula 1 car for the first time after having his final outing with Mercedes.

The seven-time world champion waved goodbye to the Silver Arrows at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton finished his final race with the team a stunning fourth after starting P16.

The 39-year-old will join Ferrari on a multi-year deal in 2025 in what is arguably the most anticipated and exciting driver transfer in F1 history. Hamilton joins a list of elite drivers to race with the Maranello outfit, including Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

However, there is also an element of concern surrounding the move, particularly given the struggles Hamilton has suffered with in recent years. The Brit has been vocal about his frustrations with his Mercedes machinery as the team have not been able to provide a competitive car during the ground effect era.

Hamilton’s woes are evidenced by the fact that he had not won a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix before he grabbed his two victories in 2024 at the British Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg says Lewis Hamilton will be ‘100%’ worried about bringing his Mercedes form to Ferrari

Qualifying has been a major concern for Hamilton this season, having failed to reach Q3 on six occasions and only qualified on the front row of the grid once.

Hamilton suffered his lowest finish in the drivers’ standings in his F1 career in 2024, being outscored and outperformed by teammate George Russell. Including Sprint qualifying, the seven-time champion was outqualified by his fellow Brit 24-6 across the season.

According to Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, the 39-year-old will be ‘very worried’ about his form and will be wondering if it will be a ‘painful adventure’ at Ferrari if he cannot improve.

“When you get beaten all the time, and in the case of Lewis who is statistically the GOAT, then that’s really tough,” said Rosberg via the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.

“And especially going forward now, he has two years at Ferrari, and he will 100% be very, very worried: ‘What if this form of mine continues? Was it just the car at Mercedes or what if this form of mine continues to Ferrari?’

“If it does, it would really be quite a painful adventure I would say, because that’s not what Ferrari hired him for. Ferrari hired him to be on the level of Leclerc and fight for world championships.

“So I think he will be very worried about that and we can only hope that he finds back to his good old self with a reset at Ferrari and is once again the brilliant driver that we know.”

Can Lewis Hamilton turn his form around at Ferrari?

Ferrari will be a fresh start for Hamilton and a great opportunity to find his feet again in F1. However, he will have to get to grips with new surroundings, new engineers and a new language.

Jolyon Palmer says Hamilton needs a full reset at Ferrari before he goes up against Charles Leclerc, who will prove to be strong competition for the Brit.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 Ferrari move from wage to when Mercedes knew

Leclerc has been well-established at Ferrari since 2019 and has shown how quick he is over one lap. With Hamilton’s woes in qualifying, the Monegasque driver could have a clear advantage over his new teammate if he gets off to a slow start in 2025.

Hamilton has had some moments of brilliance this season that have proven he still can perform. Martin Brundle says Hamilton put in a vintage display in Abu Dhabi as he gave himself the perfect send-off at Mercedes.

Hamilton will be on his preferred right side of the garage at Ferrari, which will be one benefit for him ahead of his switch to the Maranello outfit. Whether he can use that to his advantage and find performance on the track is another question.