David Coulthard has offered a cautionary perspective on Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, reminding the seven-time world champion that even the greatest champions aren’t guaranteed fairy-tale endings.
After an unprecedented twelve year partnership and six world titles with Mercedes, Hamilton has opted to leave the Silver Arrows outfit and open a new bold chapter in his remarkable career in F1, one that has sparked excitement and intrigue among the sport’s fans.
At Ferrari, Hamilton aims to secure an eighth world title with the Scuderi, an achievement that would beak him loose from Michael Schumacher’s shared record and cement his place as Formula 1’s most successful driver of all time.
However, drawing a parallel with Schumacher’s ill-fated return to F1 with Mercedes in 2010, Coulthard warns that Hamilton’s gamble may not deliver the supreme coronation he so desires.
"Mercedes does not exist for Lewis Hamilton, and Lewis Hamilton has made it clear that he does not exist for Mercedes,” Coulthard told the Daily Mirror.
“In the same way, when Michael came back from retirement to sign for Mercedes, it was really shocking to imagine him being anything other than a Ferrari legend.
"But the draw of coming home to Mercedes, the desire and belief that he could do it still, brought him in.
“He did a couple of years, he did okay, but it was not the same as how he was in his first stint in Formula 1."
Schumacher’s second act saw flashes of brilliance but no wins, overshadowed by teammate Nico Rosberg’s superior performances.
Coulthard worries that Hamilton, who will be 40 when he dons Ferrari red, could face a similar scenario as he squares off against Charles Leclerc, the Italian outfit’s current star driver.
"Lewis is rolling the dice again with Ferrari,” added the ex-F1 driver and Channel 4 commentator.
"It may well lead to a rejuvenation of performance and a fight for the world championship. But it is going to be challenging because he has got [to beat] a very fast Charles Leclerc."
Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari alongside Leclerc has created one of the most high-profile driver pairings in F1 history.
However, Coulthard highlighted the challenges Hamilton faces, especially given his struggles in 2024 to match the qualifying pace of his younger Mercedes teammate, George Russell.
“The key ingredient of all of the greats over the history of time has been to be able to qualify and race,” the Scot explained.
“And if Lewis, at 40 years old, has lost a yard in footballing terms, then he may well struggle to beat Charles over the course of a year.
“That is a legitimate question that anyone should be asking, but it is for him to show us.”
While some may see Coulthard’s words as a critique, the 13-time Grand Prix winner made it clear that Hamilton’s fate lies entirely in his own hands.
“It is not about us putting him down and saying he cannot do it, because it is in his hands,” he said. “All of these guys have it in their own hands to shape their own future.”
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari represents more than a bid for another championship; it’s a step into a team synonymous with legends like Schumacher and Niki Lauda.
But with Leclerc as a young fierce competitor and the natural challenges of aging, Hamilton’s Ferrari chapter will be anything but straightforward.
For now, the racing world can only watch as one of F1’s greatest drivers takes on its most iconic team in a bid to write the final – and perhaps most audacious – chapter of his storied career.
Whether it’s a Schumacher-style epilogue or a storybook ending, Hamilton’s next steps promise drama, rivalry, and, perhaps, redemption.
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