Hamilton 'Underestimated' Mercedes, Says 1996 Champion Hill

Friday, 23 August 2024 at 19:22

The 1996 Formula 1 Champion Damon Hill explained why he thinks Lewis Hamilton might have underestimated his own team.

Lewis Hamilton decided to bet on Ferrari after the end of the 2024 season as he signed a contract (from 2025) with the team from Maranello at the start of this year.

In the first few Grand Prix races, Mercedes struggled, and Ferrari was the second-fastest team. At that point, it looked like the seven-time World Champion made the right decision.

However, as the season progressed, the table seemed to have turned. With upgrades introduced in Canada, Mercedes got right into the fight for victories, while Ferrari seemed to have missed the mark with their latest upgrades.

Before the first race after the summer break, it suddenly looked like the 39-year-old's decision to change teams might not have been the correct one if we look at performance. Damon Hill said as per TopGear.

"He's had such an incredible time with Mercedes, and at the time he made the decision [to leave], I think he'd quite understandably thought that Mercedes had reached the buffers."

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"But maybe he underestimated them, because they are making a comeback and they could well be competitive."

The 1996 Champion suggested it would be a real shame if Hamilton didn't have the car that would allow him to compete for the title once he joins the Italian F1 team.

"It would be sad if he moved to Ferrari and Ferrari weren't competitive, because it would mean that he will be denied that chance to get the eighth title which many people believe he should've had."

"I would love to see Lewis fighting for his eighth title, and it's going to be amazing seeing him in a Ferrari. It's going to be very exciting."

No driver has won the Drivers' Championship with Ferrari since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. If Hamilton could do it, it would be a sensation, and according to 1997 Champion Jacques Villeneuve, it would definitely make him the best driver of all time.