F1 pundit WARNS of Hamilton Ferrari struggles

A Formula 1 pundit has shared a worrying prediction for Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari tenure ahead of his new Italian venture.

The seven-time champion rocked the sport by announcing a move to the Scuderia in February, ending a 26-year association with the Mercedes brand.

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The Brit will be hoping a switch new surroundings can help him rediscover the form which has eluded him in recent years as he chases a record-breaking eighth drivers' title.

It has been a disappointing season for the 39-year-old, who has struggled to make an impact at the top of the grid amid ongoing issues regarding his car.

Remarkably, Hamilton has also suggested team-mate George Russell was receiving preferential treatment from Mercedes as a potential explanation for his lack of performance, a claim denied by team principal Toto Wolff.

Size of Ferrari task 'should not be underestimated'

Though his latest display at the Canadian Grand Prix showed some improvement, a 104th victory in the sport appears unlikely to arrive before he departs the team he joined back in 2013.

However, BBC pundit Andrew Benson has warned there will be no guarantee of success for the former McLaren star when he eventually joins forces with Charles Leclerc next year.

Answering fan questions on the BBC Sport website, Benson said: "Right now, Hamilton is struggling in his final year at Mercedes, by his own high standards.

"His motivation will be sky high and he will be completely dedicated and committed to winning the World Championship at Ferrari - but the size of the task he faces should not be underestimated.

"For one thing, he is going to a new team in another country and another culture and it will inevitably take time for him to become fully conversant with that and get the best from himself and Ferrari.

"For another, Leclerc is incredibly fast - many people in F1 think he might even be the fastest driver in the sport over one lap - so out-qualifying him will not be easy, and at the moment Hamilton is not out-qualifying George Russell either."

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