Our verdict on Hamilton’s seismic Ferrari move

Thursday 1st February was an ordinary day right up until rumours of Lewis Hamilton switching to Ferrari came early in the morning.

By lunchtime, it was abundantly clear that it was in fact true that Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes, and it was just a matter of time to dot the Is and cross the Ts on how the news would be communicated.

As is the way with these types of driver announcements, the first statement from Mercedes was released 13 minutes before Ferrari’s simply worded statement confirming a multi-year agreement would be signed.

It is perhaps the biggest driver move of the century and even eclipses Fernando Alonso announcing he would sign for McLaren for 2007 in 2005 or Sebastian Vettel leaving Red Bull for Ferrari ahead of the 2015 campaign.

Now the dust has settled, the RacingNews365 team has got together to give our verdicts on the seismic move.

Rory Mitchell – The lore of Ferrari is enough for any driver

Ferrari is Formula 1’s most successful and long-standing team, so it makes sense that the most successful driver would want his swan song to be in the Scarlet Red car.

Quite the show of confidence from Hamilton in his ability to make the difference in a car, and putting himself up against Charles Leclerc – F1’s Princess Diana – will not be an easy task.

It’s also a chance to start fresh having been with Mercedes for all of his career, either as a team or engine supplier. The team has entered a state of discontent similar to how it ended at McLaren, and are faced with a rebuild job for the next two years.

Having not listened to his or senior engineers concerns about their 2022 car, there could only be one outcome for a driver not looking to waste his golden years in search for an eighth title. Hamilton will not be satisfied with seven, but the question is whether Ferrari can deliver.

Jake Nichol – Gutsy but a crowning moment if it happens

The only driver in F1 history to win a World Championship for both McLaren and Ferrari is Niki Lauda – the man responsible for persuading him to leave McLaren for Mercedes in the autumn of 2012.

Hamilton craves that eighth World Championship that he was denied in the most controversial of circumstances at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The soon-to-be Ferrari driver has clearly run out of patience at Mercedes’ attempts to get its head around the ground effects era, and by jumping from HMS Brackley before the W15 has even hit the track is not exactly an endorsement.

Hamilton has nothing to lose by joining Ferrari. The most famous F1 driver in the world will drive for the most famous team in F1 – something the PR teams and sponsors will be rubbing their hands together with glee at.

Being the driver to restore the Cavalino Rampante to title-winning ways, break the joint-record he holds with Tifosi icon Michael Schumacher and then hang his helmet up and retire would be the ultimate mic-drop and cement Hamilton’s legacy as, arguably, the greatest of all time.

Even Hollywood couldn’t make that up.

Fergal Walsh – A potential seismic end to a historic career

While Hamilton’s faith in Mercedes may have dwindled, his competitive spirit has not – but only time will tell if a Ferrari switch is a roll of the dice or a calculated transfer.

Hamilton seemed destined to end his career at Mercedes having expressed on multiple occasions that he viewed the organisation as his family.

Mercedes will be hurt by Hamilton’s decision to walk away amid the squad’s poor run of form and it now faces an almost impossible task of filling the gap the Briton leaves behind.

Ferrari’s F1 lure has long been documented and Hamilton will now join a list of all-time greats to drive for the Italian squad.

Ferrari’s title drought which has been ongoing since 2008 can’t be ignored and bringing championship success back to the Maranello-based outfit would rank high among his many achievements.

Whatever happens, rounding out his career at Ferrari will be a fitting end to one of the most established careers in F1 history. But with another title in hand, it would be the stuff of dreams.

Ewan Gale – The news every fan has been hoping for

If you’re an F1 fan, the likelihood is that you have a soft spot for Ferrari. If you are new to F1, the chances are you know at least two things about the sport and they will include Ferrari and Hamilton.

So in a week where fan disgruntlement was plain to see in the aftermath of the Andretti entry rejection, this news really was a remedy.

Throughout F1 history, the best drivers have made switches to Maranello: Vettel, Alonso, Schumacher, Prost, Mansell… the list continues.

There is a romance involved with Hamilton moving to Ferrari that die-hard F1 fans will love and the newer wave can get excited about. Don’t let yourself be fooled by the significance of the switch – it brought any soccer transfer deadline-day news to a halt!

In terms of competition, this could be another cunning move by the seven-time champion following his transfer to Mercedes from McLaren ahead of the 2013 season. With new regulations on the horizon, one has to assume former GP2 boss Fred Vasseur has indicated the Scuderia has something up its sleeve.

Rumours have persisted for years and now the move has finally happened… what a move for F1!