Lewis Hamilton is moving to Ferrari for next season to partner Charles Leclerc as he looks to win a record-breaking eighth world championship.
The British driver is joining the Scuderia after a frustrating end to his time at Mercedes. The German team have struggled to adapt to the ground effect rules introduced in 2022.
Hamilton only won two races over the past three years, and he inherited one of them at the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this season after his teammate George Russell was disqualified.
Ferrari will be a new challenge for the seven-time world champion, but Hamilton must stop being too hard on himself in interviews.
It will be a tough task to match his new teammate, and Martin Brundle feels Charles Leclerc is the fastest driver in Formula 1.
The driver line-up of Hamilton and Leclerc is a promising pairing, but the former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo feels the team needs to do one thing to make their new recruit a success.
Ferrari needs ‘clarity in management’ to maximise their potential with Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari took a step forward this year as they challenged for the Constructors’ Championship, just missing out by 14 points to McLaren.
The Italian team were superb at times, winning at Monaco and the Italian Grand Prix with Leclerc, but lost points due to a double retirement in Canada.
Di Montezemolo feels Ferrari took a risk by signing Hamilton despite his seven world championships and having the most wins of any driver.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton takes cheeky dig at Max Verstappen with ‘doesn’t always work out’ comment
He told Rai.tv: “Hamilton is a phenomenon like Verstappen. His arrival at Ferrari is not a marketing operation: he wants to end his career by winning in red.
“But the choice of Lewis, on the one hand, is a risk because it takes a champion who has won a lot and who comes to Ferrari to win. On the other hand, there is Leclerc, who, despite having good races, has never been champion, and the years go by.
“It will be a very interesting year for Ferrari, provided that it manages to bridge the gap with McLaren to start competitive from the first race. There must also be clarity on the management within the team.”
There is some risk in having two drivers, such as Leclerc and Hamilton, who are both capable of challenging for championships.
Both drivers can be the team’s number one, which could create friction, especially if the car has the capability to fight at the front over a season.
Lewis Hamilton will need to work on qualifying next season
For much of Hamilton’s career, he has been unbeatable at times over a single lap. He holds the record for pole positions with 104.
Russell comfortably beat Hamilton on Saturdays this season. He lost out at Mercedes 19-5, which made many of the races more difficult as he started further back.
It is very difficult to pass in Formula 1, and with the gaps between all 10 teams so close, qualifying is critical to starting near the front.
Ferrari’s car could be easier to drive than Mercedes’, which may help Hamilton regain confidence over a single lap.
Leave feedback about this