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Flavio Briatore, Fernando Alonso's confidante and former F1 team principal, believes that Lewis Hamilton struggles to maintain a competitive edge over Charles Leclerc in Ferrari due to his infrequent effort. The Italian was questioned about the growth trajectory that the Italian squad has been on recently.
Ferrari is the second fastest car in 2024, and when it comes to putting things together, the team has been on a hiring spree. Some key personnel have been poached from rival teams Mercedes and Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton is the latest signing, a news story that broke the internet early in the year.
Lewis Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes at the end of the year and join Ferrari in 2025. Flavio, however, feels Lewis might struggle to keep up with Charles Leclerc, as he doesn't make much effort when the car is not as good. He told Italian broadcaster Rai 1.
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“They may be the second force, but it is not a position suitable for Ferrari. The car must improve. With those gaps, no driver can make the difference. If Hamilton was already at Ferrari today, he would do the same things as Leclerc, who is a fast driver, although often underestimated. In the end he might struggle to stay ahead of Charles because he is one of those drivers who doesn’t put much effort into it if the car isn’t good.”
David Coulthard has also questioned Lewis Hamilton's motivation
David Coulthard has also questioned Lewis Hamilton's motivation this season, as the Mercedes driver has not had the best start to the season. The driver has struggled to keep up with George Russell, and that has seen him get outqualified and outraced in the first two races.
Coulthard suspected a mindset where Lewis is already at Ferrari mentally, proving to be a hindering block. He told Channel 4:
"He’s just not been settled with this car. And you can tell, you know, George is just honing the lap time right now and you can feel that Lewis is on the backfoot. What we do know though, if he does find a window of performance, then you know he will deliver. But right now, it’s looking like his decision to head off to Ferrari, mentally, he is already there.”
Lewis has been very successful in F1 and has an impeccable record as well. At the same time, he is getting older, and if motivation does play a role, then we could see him struggle at Ferrari if the car is not up to the mark.
