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Lewis Hamilton: Switching to Ferrari is a sophisticated plan
Sure, the move to Scuderia is without a doubt one of the most spectacular in the entire history of F1 – in the last 20 years it can only be compared with Michael Schumacher’s comeback in 2009. But do you really want to leave your nest in the late autumn of your career and join the Scuderia, which has been chronically unsuccessful and completely off course for years? What is Hamilton’s goal with this change?
First of all, it can be assumed that sporting motives were at least a factor in the Brit’s decision. It’s no secret that Hamilton wants to win his eighth world championship title at all costs in order to finally go down in history as the most successful driver in the premier class. If you take this train of thought a little further, it can be assumed that Hamilton was at least no longer fully capable of this feat in the cockpit of a Silver Arrow. Does Hamilton know more about this than we do? Was he able to see the performance of the new Mercedes car with his own eyes and did it make him less confident about the coming years? All of this is speculation. But the fact is that – especially considering the timing of the change right before a new season – it doesn’t necessarily shed the best light on the Silver Arrows.
At the same time, there should be a well thought out and sophisticated master plan behind it. As much as it may seem different at first glance, Hamilton has absolutely nothing to lose by moving to Ferrari. On the contrary: If his strategy works, nothing will stand in the way of his goal of becoming the undisputed GOAT of F1 sport. When Niki Lauda wanted to convince Hamilton to switch from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013, he is said to have done so with the words “You can do what Schumacher couldn’t do.” In contrast to Schumacher, Hamilton ultimately became world champion in the Silver Arrow, but in order to be one step above the German, he would also have to do it in the red racing car.
And that’s exactly where the appeal of Ferrari’s involvement lies. As of today, no one believes the Scuderia can stand up to the all-powerful Max Verstappen and the Red Bull cosmos. If, contrary to expectations, Hamilton actually succeeded, the significance of this achievement would be even greater. To have helped Ferrari back to its former glory in Schumacher’s living room – it would be the ultimate crowning achievement of an already extraordinary career.