Ferrari Didn't 'Hire Hamilton For Speed' But Something Else Says Chandhok
F1Tuesday, 12 November 2024 at 10:00
Former F1 driver and Sky Sports commentator Karun Chandhok explained why he thinks Scuderia Ferrari signed with Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes F1 driver Lewis Hamilton has struggled with speed over one lap throughout the 2024 season. Whereas in 2023, his head-to-head score in qualifying with George Russell was 11-11, in 2024 he is losing 5-16 so far.
In 2025, the seven-time World Champion will join Charles Leclerc in Scuderia Ferrari, and the Monegasque driver is considered one of the best, if not the best, qualifier on the grid.
If Hamilton wants to have a shot at winning his eighth title (assuming Ferrari will have a competitive car), he will need to be at least close to the 26-year-old. Karun Chandhok suggested when speaking to Betway that Hamilton needs to find an improvement.
"For Lewis, it is something he will have to work on though because in 2025, it's going to be super close and if he is two or three tenths away from Charles, you could end up P6 or P7 on the grid and all of a sudden, your race is completely different."
"I'm sure it's weighing on his mind but I don't think Lewis needs people to tell him where he needs to improve, he knows within himself where he needs to improve and you can see the body language."
On the other hand, the former F1 driver suggested qualifying speed isn't the primary factor Ferrari was looking at when signing the seven-time World Champion.
"From Ferrari's perspective, ultimately, I don't think they have hired Lewis for speed. They have Charles Leclerc for speed. They hired Lewis because he knows how to win a World Championship."
Since 2021 Ferrari's driver pairing consisted of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. Although this has worked fairly well for the team from Maranello, Chandhok believes they could benefit from the experience that the seven-time World Champion will bring.
"He will bring them experience and the knowledge of how to put a season campaign together. In terms of speed, I still believe Charles Leclerc is the best qualifier on the grid. In terms of out and out one lap pace, he is the fastest driver in F1 today."
"They've got speed but what they haven't had is a driver who has won a World Championship, and I think that is what they have hired him for."
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