Mercedes Key Figure Warns Lewis Hamilton of “Tricky” Situation He Will Face at Ferrari

Jun 19, 2024 | 1:04 PM EDT

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“I’ve said before I think he’s he’s the best racing car driver there’s ever been and I still believe it,” said James Allison, talking about Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton. The goodbyes will be extremely hard for both sides considering Lewis and Mercedes established the most successful partnership in F1 ever! However, if things don’t go well after the transfer, the welcome at Ferrari might not be a welcome change for superstar Lewis.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving a fifteen-year-long partnership with Mercedes at the end of 2024. From the next season, he will partner with Charles Leclerc to race for Scuderia Ferrari. This move is even more iconic than the Michael Schumacher one as Lewis is already a 7x champion before moving to Maranello. However, in the latest episode of Beyond the Grid Podcast, Mercedes’ technical director, James Allison talks about the tricky battle of stardom that Lewis might face at Ferrari.

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When Allison was asked, “What’s Lewis got waiting for him?” He said, “There he’ll get a sense of the spirit and passion of that team. Those are overused cliches.” Questioned whether he would react well to that, he said, “I think initially it might get tricky. At Ferrari, the Ferrari is the star. I think every driver who’s driven there at some level or other has had to come to terms with that if Lewis actually embraces that and loves it in the way that Michael did then the space for both to be great if he doesn’t then I think the brand and the Ferrari will always dominate.”

However, his future teammate has been singing a different tune.

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“I see it as a super opportunity,” Charles Leclerc makes an excited confession ahead of partnering with Lewis Hamilton

Right before the 2024 season campaign started, Lewis Hamilton broke the internet when his Ferrari move was announced. This came as a shock to F1 fans who are used to seeing him fight tooth and nail for the Silver Arrows and making history with the Toto Wolff-led team. Though conjectures about the future dynamic began making rounds on the internet, Leclerc’s confession sometime later might diffuse the rumor mill.

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For Leclerc, it’s a great opportunity as a driver to learn from the best while it also sends a clear message to Ferrari’s rivals. He said, “I see it as a super opportunity, for me and for the team, but also for our sport. Having a seven-time World Champion in the team is a huge signal that we’re sending out.”
He also added, “It motivates me a lot to demonstrate what I am capable of and I will be able to learn from one of the best drivers ever.”

This might be an explosive and very successful Maranello partnership. Do you think the partnership will create a stir in F1?