Xen:

A few months ago, Formula 1 (F1) driver Lewis Hamilton revealed that he signed a contract with the Ferrari racing team, agreeing to join them in the 2025 F1 season. The Italian Formula franchise completed this surprising move to get back to winning the F1 championship. While this signing will be a significant change for Ferrari, more is needed to improve their performance and compete for the tournament.

Each F1 team has two drivers competing at races. Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz, and Charles Leclerc will remain their main driver. Sainz and Leclerc have been teammates since the end of the 2020 season, and Ferrari has consistently finished in the top three places with them.

While Hamilton is a very accomplished and experienced driver, Sainz is significantly younger and has great potential. Ferrari chose impulsively instead of being patient and letting Sainz and Leclerc develop together. The Ferrari duo has had a lot of success since they teamed up.

Sainz is a great prospect for the future. In the 2023 Formula 1 season, he finished seventh out of 22 drivers; This included an incredible first-place finish at the Grand Prix in Singapore in September.

Sainz is already improving and is close to reaching his full potential, as is evident from the start of the 2024 season. In the two Grand Prix races he participated in, Sainz finished third in Bahrain and first in Australia. These podium appearances solidify Sainz as one of the most in-form drivers. On the other hand, Hamilton has had one of the worst starts to a season of his career. He didn’t finish one of his three races this season while he got 7th and 9th place in the other two.

Ferrari’s decision to replace Sainz with Hamilton already looks like a mistake. Even if Hamilton could find his old self again, it would still be hard for Ferrari to achieve its goal of winning the championship. Red Bull has been the uncontested champion for the past two years, with the best driver in the world, Max Verstappen, leading the way.

Carlotta:

I have been watching Formula 1 since I was young. Lewis Hamilton has been a constant on the track from the moment I started watching, so I was so happy to see him come to my favored team. His move to Ferrari is one of the better strategic decisions Ferrari has made this year and will become the gift that keeps on giving.

Hamilton’s move is good for two reasons: his impeccable timing and pure talent. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have driven on the same team since 2021. While both are good drivers, making a strong pair (Sainz won a race last year, and Leclerc took multiple poles as well), Ferrari seems to be at a standstill: they lost in the 2023 Constructors’ Championship by three points to Mercedes, and that’s ignoring Red Bull having won more points than both teams combined.

Lewis Hamilton is Ferrari’s answer. On March 9, 2024, Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Ollie Bearman raced as a replacement driver when Sainz was sick. Bearman drove skillfully and placed 7th, which is especially notable given it was his first time in Formula 1, but he is still inexperienced. To get someone like Bearman onto Ferrari, he needs to gain experience at a team that ends up giving its drivers to Ferrari, like Haas.

This is where Hamilton comes in. It pains me to say this, especially because I have seen Hamilton on the track for a long time, but he will have to retire eventually. He has been driving since 2007. Bearman can step in when Hamilton steps out, creating continuity for Ferrari that would not be there if the team had two drivers of similar ages. Sainz and Leclerc are not a good strategic investment for the team.

Secondly, Lewis Hamilton’s talent is the energizer Ferrari needs to win another Constructors’ Championship and boot Red Bull out. Hamilton has won seven world championships and was the youngest-ever driver to win one. He was listed in Time as one of the 100 most influential people of 2020 and was knighted in 2021. There is no denying that wherever he goes, Hamilton does his best with what he is given. While Sainz is a skilled driver, he is no match for the seven-time world champion. You could boil down my second argument to this: he is just a good driver and will be an asset to Ferrari no matter what.

I also want to mention Hamilton’s work in social justice: As the only black driver to race in Formula One so far, he has dealt with racism from spectators, the media, and even the International Automobile Federation (FIA) itself. During his 12 years at Mercedes, he worked to push diversity in racing, and his work will be welcomed with open arms at Ferrari, just another reason why he would be a valuable addition to the team.