F1 boss hits out at Hamilton Ferrari move

An influential Formula 1 figure has hit out at the signing of Lewis Hamilton by Ferrari, admitting that seeing the seven-time champion in red will be 'strange'.

The British driver is looking to win a record eighth drivers' title at the age of 40, which would also make him the third oldest driver to claim the championship, and the oldest since 1957.

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However, Hamilton and Sainz's final seasons with their old teams were markedly different, with Sainz proving why he is such a sought-after driver on the grid, and Hamilton suffering arguably his worst ever season.

They did both finish the 2024 season with two wins each, but Sainz was up in fifth in the standings, two points behind fourth-placed Oscar Piastri, while Hamilton finished down in seventh behind team-mate George Russell.

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Hamilton's misery was compounded by his qualifying struggles, going down 19-5 across the season to Russell, and is now set to go up against one of the best qualifiers on the F1 grid in Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc has achieved 26 pole positions across his career, including three last season, despite never having the fastest car on the grid across a season.

Now, controversial F1 legend Flavio Briatore, who has recently rejoined the sport in an executive advisor capacity with Alpine, has suggested that Ferrari's decision to sign Hamilton could be a mistake.

"It will be strange to see Lewis in the Ferrari. Of course I respect such decisions, but I also wonder whether it makes sense," the Italian told Sport-Bild.

"Ferrari had two top drivers in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. I don't understand why they split up this great pairing. It's not my job to judge, but if I had been in a position of responsibility at Ferrari, I wouldn't have signed Lewis.

"In principle, it's good for Formula 1 if Lewis drives for Ferrari. And everything that's good for Formula 1 is good for me too. It's certainly good for television and the ratings too. Let's wait and see, time will tell how well he drives in the Ferrari."

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