F1 legend believes Lewis Hamilton can be 'catalyst' for first Ferrari title since 2008

Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari-outfit — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 legend believes Hamilton can be 'catalyst' for first Ferrari title since 2008

Hamilton backed to be man to bring back former glory to Ferrari

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Friday 9 February 2024 10:57

Ferrari legend Rob Smedley has backed Lewis Hamilton's move to the Scuderia to be the 'catalyst' that could see the team return to their former glory.

Ferrari have not won the constructors' championship since 2008, with Kimi Raikkonen being the last Ferrari driver to win the drivers' championship back in 2007.

In recent years the team have shown pace in qualifying, yet have failed to convert that into regular race wins.

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Yet with Hamilton now teaming up with Charles Leclerc from 2025, Smedley thinks that could all be about to change.

Lewis Hamilton will be a Ferrari driver from 2025

He is set to team up with Charles Leclerc (M), replacing the outgoing Carlos Sainz (R)

Smedley: Hamilton can be Ferrari catalyst

“I think Lewis definitely can be a catalyst for crystallising the team around him or around him and Charles [Leclerc]," he told F1.com.

"Sometimes a Formula 1 team just needs something to help them put in that extra one per cent and when you’re putting in 110 per cent, putting in that extra one or two per cent makes a massive difference.

“It's the same as what happened with Red Bull after their fallow period – once you start to win, it actually becomes difficult to stop. You've got to almost make specific interventions for it to stop, like breaking up the team, key drivers leaving, or stuff like that. That's how periods of domination stop.

“But you see, once it gets a sniff of winning and it's got instrumental people within that team – people like Lewis, who are just winning machines and are driven to win, weekend in, weekend out – if you’ve got those people leading your team, it becomes difficult to lose. I think that's what we may see with Ferrari.”

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Formula 1 Charles Leclerc Carlos Sainz Kimi Raikkonen