Written by Ria Ann Sam, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time - maybe even the greatest according to several fans. With an incredible seven Driver Championships, consisting of 104 pole positions, 197 podiums, and 103 wins, his success and talent is undeniable.
However, ever since they lost to Max Verstappen at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021, Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton have arguably been on a slight decline.
Hamilton has only had 15 podiums since then (of which none were wins) and one pole position (at Hungary in 2023). Although, will these stats take a turn for the better, with a surprising move to Ferrari for 2025? Could we see him win another race, or even another championship?
Four races into 2024, Mercedes sit fourth with only 64 points — almost half the points compared to their fellow Mercedes-powered McLaren outfit, whereas this time last year they were third with 76 points, pointing to the steep decline they are facing.
Hamilton himself only has 27 points, however, he did retire from the Australian Grand Prix, which may relate to his lower points haul. (For comparison, he had 48 points this time last year and was in fourth.)
Whilst yes, several people argue that he is the greatest F1 driver of all time, there are voices from elsewhere stating his career is “over” and that “he isn’t good anymore,” and argue the same about Mercedes. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Hamilton has decided to leave Mercedes and move to Ferrari.
But what could we see from a drastic move? Hamilton will be replacing Carlos Sainz meaning he will be driving alongside Charles Leclerc, also known as Ferrari’s “golden boy.”
While Fred Vasseur insists there is no “number one and number two” driver at Ferrari, it will definitely be interesting to see the power struggle between the two drivers.
Both are extremely talented, and possess a wealth of potential to take more wins or maybe even a championship or two. Yet when it comes down to the end, will Ferrari prioritise their golden boy, or their new addition — the seven-time world champion?
But before we see any teammate battles, will Hamilton even be able to keep up with Leclerc? This is no dig at the Brit, but he is leaving his home for over a decade, for a completely different team;
Even if Hamilton has worked with Vasseur before, he is still stepping into unknown territory. It should be interesting to see how he fares, whether the car suits him, and how he works in tandem with the team to gain the most points possible.
Additionally, will it help his career at all making such a big change? A driver that comes to mind is Daniel Ricciardo who left Red Bull back in 2018 to go to Renault, and from there his career took a dive. Will driving for Ferrari reignite a spark in Hamilton, or will he sink further?
However, even if Hamilton performs incredibly well at Ferrari by scoring big points and winning once again, to be world champion he would need to beat the most dominant driver currently — Max Verstappen — and with the exception of a handful of races, Verstappen has broken several records with his outstanding performances.
For Lewis Hamilton to win another championship, he would either need the Dutchman’s performances to decline, or fans would be subjected to another replay of the 2021 season, only this time with a different outcome.
To see Lewis Hamilton win an eighth championship would be incredible, given he truly is an exceptional driver. Proof is this is when non-F1 fans think of the sport, they first remember Hamilton’s name, proving just how incredible and well-known he is.
Despite this, it remains doubtful for Hamilton to win another championship purely because we don’t know how he will fare at Ferrari, not to mention we would also need them to step up to the mighty dominance of Red Bull and Verstappen. .
However, if it happens, it would be incredible to see as Hamilton would beat Schumacher’s record and have eight championships, and also bring Ferrari another win 2008 - a poetic way to end his career.
It would be lovely if he could have at least one more win with Mercedes, but whatever happens, Hamilton has brought excitement and passion to the sport, and will continue to do so at Ferrari.
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