Yesterday's news, not only in Formula 1 but in the world of sport in general, was what he saw Lewis Hamilton leaves Mercedes and joins Ferrari starting next season. The British driver will take the place of Carlos Sainz and will be accompanied by seven world titles and 103 victories. Since 2020, the last year of the Vettel era, Ferrari had no world champions in its lineup. Hamilton will bring a lot of experience and an unparalleled hunger for victories to Maranello, which will also benefit the team and his new teammate Leclerc.
Ferrari placed an excellent shot, taking advantage of the Mercedes debacle of the last two years, and secured the performance of the most successful driver ever. To draw a parallel with football, this transfer remembers the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus in the summer of 2018. On that occasion, despite winning several national championships and cups, CR7 and the Old Lady missed out on winning the Champions League, the real reason for hiring the Madeira champion.
Hamilton and Ferrari, chasing titles
Now, despite he will begin his adventure in Red at 40 years old, Hamilton certainly doesn't seem to have signed up to win just a few races. He wants his eighth title, that title that seemed one step away and which was then taken from him on the night of Abu Dhabi 2021. His competitiveness will be good for the team, which has not won a title since 2008, and for Leclerc, who will mature even more with a teammate like the number 44.
That said, a pair like Hamilton and Leclerc, even if tremendously fast, will need the right car. Luca Cordero di MontezemoloAs soon as he heard the news, he immediately warned: “With two number ones, having a winning car will be even more importantotherwise this choice would prove to be a great risk".
Ferrari ended 2023 on a positive note, with two consecutive second places for Leclerc and the feeling of being Red Bull's closest rival. The Cavallino men have already warned that the recovery will continue gradually: no world championship in 2024, the goal is 5 wins. Then, in 2025, when Hamilton arrives, we will try to take another step forward, before change of regulation in 2026.
From worst enemies to best friends
Hamilton, therefore, after being the Ferrari's worst enemy for more than a decade, from 2007 to 2019, now he will join them in the most classic of transfers, a repeat of what we saw with Hag, Alonso o Cheers. Unlike these three champions, however, all of Italy hopes that the number 44 can bring the world championship back to Maranello.
It would be decidedly suggestive if, after having deprived Ferrari of some titles, Hamilton changed uniform and surpassed Schumacher's record with the same team that made the Kaiser a legend. These hypotheses give goosebumps to any enthusiast, but you shouldn't bite off more than you can chew. We are lucky to be able to live this story, let's enjoy it.
