1 day Ago By Jamie Woodhouse
Flavio Briatore is the latest F1 figure to question the decision from Ferrari to bring in seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Ahead of the F1 2024 campaign getting underway, Hamilton activated a release clause in his Mercedes contract to make that his 12th and final season with the team, penning a multi-year deal with Ferrari to join from F1 2025. To make space for Hamilton, Ferrari gave up the services of Carlos Sainz, a two-time grand prix winner in F1 2024 and winner of four grands prix overall.
And with Ferrari opting for Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for their F1 future over Leclerc and Sainz, Briatore – who returned to the F1 scene in 2024 as Alpine’s advisor – cannot see the logic. “It will be strange to see Lewis in a Ferrari,” Briatore admitted to Sport Bild . “Of course I respect such decisions, but I wonder if it makes sense.
I don’t understand why this great duo [Leclerc and Sainz] has been torn apart. “It is not up to me to pass judgment on that, but if I was the person in charge at Ferrari, I would not have contracted Hamilton.” 👉 10 biggest sports deals in history: Where does Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari salary rank? 👉 Your questions answered: All you need to know about Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move At Ferrari, Hamilton will reunite with Fred Vasseur, his ART team boss from his GP2 title-winning days.
However, Mattia Binotto – who Vasseur succeeded as Ferrari team principal – has also stated that he would not have brought Hamilton to the team. Asked by Corriere della Sera if he would have signed Hamilton to Ferrari, Binotto replied: “No. But he did very well to go to Ferrari, I agree with his decision.
” And the most vocal critic of Ferrari’s decision to let Sainz go in favour of Hamilton is former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan. The Irishman went as far as to accuse Ferrari chairman John Elkann of having “rocks in his head” having made that decision. After initially questioning the Hamilton to Ferrari move off the back of his “definitely not fast anymore” self-assessment in Qatar, after a fresh qualifying defeat to then Mercedes team-mate George Russell, Jordan, speaking on the Formula For Success podcast , added: “I got such sh*t for saying that I thought Lewis should not be going to Ferrari because of what he said.
“When people say things like ‘I don’t think I’m fast enough anymore’, that registers in my head. “I’m such a person that, yes, I believe in talent; yes, I believe in performance; yes I believe in speed. “But I’m a psychological person.
I like to know what’s going on inside that brain, because I think fundamentally what’s going on in there very often gets replicated back in the job, whether that’s driving a car, a truck, a train, a crane, it doesn’t matter. It’s how you approach the moment. “Do I think, this time next year, we will all say: ‘Jesus, Lewis was amazing?’ “I hope I’m able to say that.
But at the moment, I have to say Leclerc is quick. “But the way we saw Sainz, who in their right mind [would replace him]? John Elkann must have rocks in his head to have made that decision. “I’m particularly close to his father, Carlos Sr, and when I spoke to him to say what a great job he’d done, Carlos Sr was in tears.
“Carlos himself was in tears. He still doesn’t quite understand why he was let go. “And to be quite honest, neither do I.
” Sainz will take his place on the F1 2025 grid with Williams after putting pen to paper on a multi-year deal. Read next: Hamilton and Leclerc ‘showdown’ predicted with Ferrari No.1 driver identified.
