'Every Team Would Like To Have Hamilton': Boutsen Doesn't Think Ferrari Will Have Regrets
F1Tuesday, 16 April 2024 at 12:15
Thierry Boutsen (former F1 driver) believes Ferrari won't regret signing Lewis Hamilton, as "every team would like to have" the seven-time World Champion.
Former F1 driver Hans-Joachim Stuck recently suggested Fred Vasseur would be angry that his team signed Lewis Hamilton instead of Carlos Sainz.
The move seems to make sense for Ferrari based on the 39-year-old's past achievements and performances, but he hasn't shown much in the first four rounds of the 2024 season.
In fact, the Mercedes driver is having the worst start to a season in his career, whereas it is the complete opposite for Sainz, who seems reborn ever since he found out his contract with Ferrari would not be prolonged.
Some fans and even pundits, like Michael Bleekemolen, acknowledge Hamilton's success but suggest he is now past his prime.
This then leads to speculations and questions about whether Ferrari made the right move by replacing their 29-year-old driver with a 39-year-old.
When Boutsen was asked whether Vasseur may feel he's made a mistake, he responded: "I don't think so. I think every team would like to have Hamilton driving for them."
On the one hand, the seven-time World Champion is currently being outperformed even by his teammate George Russell. On the other hand, there have been only four races so far, and there are still 20 more race weekends in the season for Hamilton to show what he's got.
Then, when we consider the most recent season (2023), Hamilton finished in third place in the Championship, which was the best of non-Red Bull drivers despite maybe not having the second-best car on many occasions. Boutsen added:
"And, for Hamilton, it's a very, very good opportunity to go to Ferrari – every driver in the world dreams to drive for Ferrari one day, and he does it, let's say, towards the end of his career."
"If he waits one or two more years, the door will be closed for him. So it's the right move at the right time for him."
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