'Rather Go To Ferrari': Hamilton's Bold Ferrari Shift Supported By Hill

Sunday, 04 February 2024 at 02:00

Former F1 driver and World Champion Damon Hill suggested there is more to Lewis Hamilton's move than meets the eye.

Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari and one of the primary reasons that gets ascribed to this move is that his childhood dream was to drive for the red team.

On the one hand, it would make sense because multiple interviews throughout his career suggested he would like to drive for Scuderia. Moreover, he is 39 years old now, and this might be his last chance.

On the other hand, one would think his primary motivation at the moment is achieving the eighth World Title, and why would he leave Silver Arrows if the team offered him a better chance of success than Ferrari? Damon Hill told Sky Sports:

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"I think that, [with] this decision, we know it’s a given [regarding] the Ferrari benefits of the brand and all the other things that come with [it], the romance and the history and all of that, it’s a given."

The former F1 driver already mentioned he doesn't believe Hamilton would leave Mercedes if the team offered him at least 50/50 chances of success in the battle for the title. He continued:

"But I think there’s more to this, which is [that] I thought there was [recent] evidence that Ferrari were starting to solidify as a competitive package."

Was Hamilton promised a big step forward in performance for the Italian team? Was he promised a Championship winning car?

The former F1 driver added he would opt for a change in Hamilton's position if the two teams offered him the same car performance level.

"They were starting to put together the components, and they were starting to get results. And I think if you had a choice between Mercedes giving you the same equipment and Ferrari, I’d rather go to Ferrari and try something different."

The seven-time World Champion joins Ferrari in 2025 but with a multi-year deal. This means he will be driving for the Italian team even in 2026. Could Ferrari promise something ground-breaking to the 39-year-old?