If Ferrari Raises To Top Again, It Won't Be Because Of Hamilton's Arrival Says Boutsen

Friday, 12 April 2024 at 22:30

Former F1 driver Thierry Boutsen explained in a recent interview why he believes Lewis Hamilton will not be the driver that brings Ferrari to the top.

The beginning of the 2024 season has been particularly challenging for seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. He's currently standing ninth in the Drivers' Championship, with only 10 points to his name after the first four races of the season.

On the one hand, the 39-year-old doesn't have a competitive car. On the other hand, his teammate George Russell is beating him race after race.

There still remain 20 race weekends in the 2024 season, but many fans doubt that Hamilton will be able to recover. When asked whether the move to Ferrari could help revitalize the Briton, Thierry Boutsen told PlanetF1.com:

"Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. It'll be very interesting to see how he revitalises himself and comes back into a winning spirit."

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While he believes the move could help the seven-time World Champion, Boutsen doesn't think it would significantly influence Ferrari's competitiveness and asserted that no driver can bring a team to the top in this day and age.

"I think a driver cannot bring a team to the top. This is no longer the case – it was possible in the 1970s. And the '80s. Maybe a little bit in the '90s but, since then, it's no longer possible."

"Otherwise, he would have beaten Verstappen last year, the year before, and would be winning the championship this year."

While drivers serve as the car's most important "sensor" for giving feedback to the team's engineers regarding the final setup, Boutsen explained that most development isn't based on what drivers say anymore. He added:

"Drivers are no longer involved in the development of the car, it’s more the computers and the engineers that build the car."

"To be the driver to bring Ferrari to this level, I don’t see that. If the Ferrari goes back to that level, it’s because they make a car that is capable of winning and, joining Ferrari at the end of this year, how much time will he have to build the team around him to build the car?"