Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 World Champion, has warned Lewis Hamilton to expect “a very chaotic and political team” when he arrives at Ferrari from Mercedes in 2025.
Hamilton rocked the F1 world in February by announcing that he will join Ferrari on a multi-year contract from next season, bringing an end to his long and successful partnership with Mercedes.
The 39-year-old’s decision came just five months after he signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes, having activated a break clause to leave before the first season of his new contract had officially started.
Hamilton, who won six of his seven World Championships with Mercedes from the start of F1’s V6 hybrid era in 2014, will arrive at a Ferrari team still searching for their Drivers’ World Championship since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.
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With Ferrari emerging as the biggest threat to the dominant Red Bull outfit at the start of the 2024 season, Hamilton claimed ahead of last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix that “there’s not been a moment” when he’s questioned his decision to leave Mercedes.
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Villeneuve, whose late father Gilles represented Ferrari with distinction in the late 1970s and early 1980s, reckons Hamilton must be braced for a political challenge at the famous Scuderia in 2025.
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He said: “Lewis has seven Championships. He is the greatest of all time with his achievements. And he’s going to the biggest team in history that has the biggest image.
“But also a very chaotic team, a very political team, a very difficult team where the whole of Italy loves you or hates you in five seconds.”
Hamilton’s partnership with 2025 team-mate Charles Leclerc, widely regarded as the fastest driver in F1 today despite remaining on five career wins, is a mouthwatering prospect.
Villeneuve remains unconvinced by Leclerc, claiming Ferrari has tried to “build” the Monegasque into a World Champion whereas Hamilton will arrive with a proven track record.
He explained: “[Hamilton] hasn’t been built. He’s actually won his championships; he’s won his races; he’s achieved it all.
“Which is very, very different than other drivers that have been put in Ferrari without championships, without wins, but where Ferrari has tried to build their image as champions.
“For example, Charles has a built image, but he has not shown it yet. That will be interesting to see the two fight it off.
“How will the one that’s achieved it all compare to the one who’s said to be a champion but isn’t yet?”
