Silver Arrow to Prancing Horse — An unexpected move?
Formula 1 season for 2024 is set to being in another week, but the biggest news for 2024 in the motorsport’s world is already out and it is unlikely if anything else will overshadow it for the entire calendar year. Late in January, it was announced that 7-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton will make a move to Ferrari in 2025 ending a 10-year long stint with Mercedes where he has won as many accolades as one could. This move is being termed as historic as well as unexpected by many pundits, but it seems that writing was on the wall since last year despite multiple factions denying any involvement including Lewis himself when he mentioned that Ferrari never reached out to him.
The move from Mercedes to Ferrari for Lewis Hamilton was not unexpected at all and the title drought with no improvement in the car was an indication that the driver should start looking elsewhere for his own benefit. So, what were the factors that could have influenced possibly the biggest driver move in history of F1.
1. Quest for 8th world title: Lewis was robbed off the 8th world title and the regulation changes have made Mercedes fall behind the pecking order with Red Bull dominating. The only team that came close to Red bull has been Ferrari and Lewis must have had an eye on their development glidepath before making the move.
2. Business is a necessity: There is hiding that Lewis is in the twilight of his glorious career and he is an influential businessman as well. Ferrari offers him an opportunity to widen his business horizon and ensure that his legacy outside the sport is carried on. Mercedes have not been superbly close to Lewis’s business ventures, and this could be the right move as he sets into the last few years of the career.
3. Legacy: Ferrari is the only team that has raced every season since the first formula 1 race in 1950s. it carries a legacy that is unmatched by any team. Legends like Michale Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel have plied their trade as well. This move gives Lewis an opportunity to experience the legacy that has defined Formula 1 racing.
4. 2026 regulations: 2026 is going to come with new set of regulations in Formula 1. Every regulation defines the dominance of a team. Be it 2013/2014 hybrid era where Mercedes dominated till 2022 or the present domination by Red Bull. Lewis must have had an eye on the directions Mercedes was taking and how Ferrari was headed into the car design to decide on where he is most likely to secure his 8th world title.
Only time will tell whether the move was a masterstroke, but this early news has overshadowed the silly season that starts in Formula 1 around the summer break as any move that happens now cannot be matched with this Prancing Horse move of Lewis Hamilton. On the flip side, Ferrari is also set to benefit a lot from Lewis in terms of more sponsors and the car development aspect which can be guided very well by Lewis just like the old days of Michale Schumacher who would influence the car design heavily.
