Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas has warned “the best” version of Lewis Hamilton could return to Formula 1 in 2025 with his “exciting” move to Ferrari.
Hamilton has joined the Scuderia to much fanfare and excitement, particularly in Italy, where he arrived to a partisan welcome from the tifosi, having left behind a legacy of the most successful driver-team partnership in F1 history with Mercedes.
Many have concerns raised about Hamilton’s level of performance, including Hamilton himself, who commented over the Qatar Grand Prix weekend last year that he was “definitely not fast anymore”.
Particular scrutiny was given on his one-lap pace over the 2024 campaign, in which he finished behind team-mate George Russell in the Drivers’ standings for the second time in three seasons.
But Nicholas, the Milton Keynes squad’s senior engine technician, is wary that the move to Ferrari will be a reinvigorating tonic for the seven-time World Champion.
“It’s very exciting,” Nicholas told talkSPORT. “I think the best comes out in Lewis when he is so excited about a new opportunity, like this one at Ferrari.
“We are all aware that it means a lot to him. Ferrari, with its history and passion, is something that drivers like to tick off throughout their careers.”
Leclerc ‘eager to learn’ from Hamilton
Nicholas also suggested that Hamilton’s relationship with new team-mate Charles Leclerc will be a fruitful one, believing the Monegasque driver will be keen to learn from the Brit.
“I think they will work well together,” he said. “Based on the limited interaction I’ve had with Leclerc, he strikes me as a guy who is eager to learn from a driver with Lewis’ experience.
“Moreover, I think Hamilton will enjoy helping the team back to the top.”
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