1996 Formula 1 champion Damon Hill believes Ferrari’s upward trend during the closing part of last season means there’s more to Lewis Hamilton’s move than “romance”.
Having appeared to have signed a deal to remain with Mercedes through 2025, Hamilton activated a break clause to agree a switch to Ferrari from the start of next year.
Ferrari trailed three points behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship last term as both teams began the season betting on car concepts that were later abandoned.
However, the Maranello squad was in the ascendancy beyond the summer break, which culminated in the side managing to land the sole non-Red Bull win in Singapore.
Ferrari and Mercedes revealed ahead of the winter their pursuit of revamped design schemes for 2024 as the pair endeavour to close the deficit to a dominant Red Bull.
Although Mercedes boss Toto Wolff ruled out performance being a factor in Hamilton’s choice, Hill reckons the seven-time champion took notice of Ferrari’s strides.
Discussing the news on Sky Sports F1, Hill admitted that the announcement had been a “shock to the system” but said that he could see the rationale behind Hamilton’s decision.
“Lewis has taken command of his career and his direction,” he said. “It’s not like Mercedes have said to him, ‘Oh, we’ve signed someone else’, which is what happened with me.
“But 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. 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.
“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.”
Hamilton will embark upon his 12th and final season with Mercedes in 2024, bringing the curtain down on the most successful driver and team partnership formed in F1 history.
The Briton, who turned 39 in January, has amassed six Drivers’ Championships, 82 victories, 148 podiums and 78 pole positions since moving across from McLaren in 2013.
But having won a record eight straight Constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021, Mercedes has struggled since F1 returned to ground effect machinery two years ago.
Hamilton has not added to his benchmark total of 103 wins since December 2021, with team-mate George Russell scoring Mercedes’ sole triumph in Brazil in 2022.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s acquisition of Hamilton means the illustrious side will field a blockbuster line-up with Charles Leclerc, who has penned a long-term contract extension.
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