Swiss commentator Marc Surer has warned Lewis Hamilton that his time at Ferrari may be less triumphant than he hopes.
Hamilton's sensational move means he'll team up with Charles Leclerc, the Scuderia star who has a habit of impressing in qualifying more than almost anyone else on the grid.
Pundits have begun to discuss who will come out on top in this new Ferrari battle, and Surer is backing Leclerc to come out on top.
Speaking on the Formula1.de YouTube channel, the former racing driver drew comparisons to that of Nico Rosberg and his tenure with Michael Schumacher when the latter returned to the sport in 2010.
Pundit warns Hamilton may struggle against Leclerc
In their three years together at Mercedes, Rosberg outperformed his team-mate and beat him in the standings in all three seasons, and Surer believes that the same could happen at Ferrari, in that Leclerc will surpass Hamilton when he joins the team.
“Leclerc is a big problem for [Hamilton] because Leclerc will be faster. Anything else would surprise me,” he explained.
“It reminds me a bit of the situation with Michael Schumacher during his comeback with Mercedes. A certain Nico Rosberg put him in his place. And Lewis Hamilton could feel the same way.”
Surer also commented on the upcoming season and how Mercedes’ season is in limbo as Hamilton prepares for his final season with the team.
“Mercedes now has to rely entirely on Russell,” Surer admitted. “But they’re not allowed to, because you can’t give a seven-time World Champion second-class material. That means they have to treat both of them equally.
“That of course makes things difficult for Mercedes because they only have a chance against Max Verstappen if they rely on one.”