Lewis Hamilton F1 News: Flavio Briatore issues Ferrari WARNING to British star

Hamilton, Ferrari, social — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Superstars

Former F1 boss issues Ferrari WARNING to Hamilton

The seven-time world champion will make the switch to Maranello in 2025

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 13 March 2024 19:42 Updated: 23:26

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Flavio Briatore has given Lewis Hamilton a warning over the potential threats he faces ahead of joining the Ferrari team from Mercedes.

Hamilton stunned the Formula 1 world when he made a shock decision to join the famous Italian team from Mercedes, as he hopes to make a last ditch attempt to win an unprecedented eighth world title before his illustrious career comes to an end.

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Already one of the most successful drivers in the sport's history, Hamilton will attempt to cement his legacy with the most iconic and successful team in the sport, when he joins Ferrari at the end of this current season.

Ferrari are currently struggling to keep up with the dominant Red Bull team, and Fred Vasseur's first season and two races into 2024 as team principal has yielded just one race win.

Ferrari have struggled under Fred Vasseur

Ferrari's 2024 performance struggles

Hamilton is a driver who, despite having an all-time high 103 race victories across his career, has not managed to win a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, struggling with an underperforming Mercedes team.

Now, former Benetton and Renault team boss Briatore has suggested that Ferrari need to seriously up their game before the arrival of 39-year-old Hamilton, if he and Charles Leclerc are going to have any chance of challenging for a championship.

"How long will we have to wait to see a winning Ferrari again? Ferrari must be more competitive," he told Tuttosport.

"When there are six or seven tenths it is impossible to fight for the title, it must improve the car by getting as close as possible to Red Bull.

"If this is the gap, there isn't no driver can make a difference, it is not the driver who solves all the problems of a team. If Hamilton were in Ferrari today, he would do the same things as Leclerc, who is a fast driver.

Flavio Briatore has warned Lewis Hamilton

Briatore on the Brits

"For me Leclerc is underrated," Briatore continued. "Hamilton will struggle to stay in front of him. Drivers like Hamilton take little effort if the car isn't competitive. If he sees the possibility of getting on the podium, however, he has an edge.

The Italian then went on to speak about 18-year-old Ollie Bearman's F1 debut, where he beat Hamilton and scored points: "He was exceptional. Nobody knew him, he was very good, already finishing the race still competitive while keeping the others behind is something to congratulate him for.

"He certainly has something, we'll see what over time.”