The tempting Lewis Hamilton F1 switch that could destroy TWO careers

Photo: © IMAGO

Lewis Hamilton

The tempting Lewis Hamilton F1 switch that could destroy TWO careers

If Hamilton wants championship success why doesn't he just go back to Mercedes?

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 7 August 2025 12:42

Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton could be tempted to make a switch away from Ferrari already after a disappointing first half of the year in red.

When Hamilton announced in 2024 that he would be leaving Mercedes to pursue championship success with the Scuderia, he joined a list of champions who have both tried and failed at that feat already.

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Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel before him both fell for the appeal of the Italian F1 team's iconic status and the fulfillment of the boyhood dream that racing in red brings with it.

But as yet another regulation change rolls over the horizon in the sport, some of you may be wondering why Hamilton ever left Mercedes if he wanted to return to the top.

The 40-year-old achieved six of his seven drivers' titles with Toto Wolff's team but by the Austrian F1 boss' own admission, Hamilton never got to grips with Mercedes machinery during the return of the ground effect era.

In fact, since 2022, the British legend only won two grands prix, one of which was awarded to him after the race thanks to a disqualification for his former team-mate George Russell at last year's Belgian Grand Prix.

The fact remains that though he may have appeared successful on average across his 12 seasons with the Silver Arrows, the seven-time champion had in fact had enough of being beaten by Russell frequently across their three campaigns together.

After Hamilton's exit, Russell was handed a new team-mate in the form of Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli, who despite his significant age gap to Hamilton, has experienced many of the same issues with his new team in 2025.

Both are dealing with the stress of their new team and claiming things don't feel right in the machinery they are currently working with, so why don't they just swap seats?

Should Antonelli and Hamilton swap teams, it could spell the end of both their F1 careers

Could Kimi Antonelli handle Ferrari pressure?

Antonelli's Mercedes predecessor Hamilton has been under extreme pressure to perform with Ferrari this season after his blockbuster team switch set expectations far too high... and that's without him even hailing from Italy!

Now, imagine the chaos that would ensue if Ferrari were to conduct a driver swap between the homesick Hamilton and the Scuderia's countryman Antonelli - it would end both of their careers.

Like Valentino Rossi's disappointing all-Italian partnership with Ducati in MotoGP, the expectations would be terrifyingly overwhelming for 18-year-old Antonelli, who right now is even admitting to his rivals that he has no confidence at the wheel of the Mercedes.

If the pressure of replacing Hamilton is proving too much for the rookie, a move that sees him become the unfulfilled hero would ensure he never returned to the sport again if he failed to meet expectations.

Now, Hamilton may have gone as far as to suggest that Ferrari need to change their driver at last weekend's Hungarian GP, but that doesn't mean it would be a good idea for him to run straight back into the safe arms of Mercedes.

In the same way that a disappointing run at Ferrari would likely leave Antonelli without a future F1 contract, at 40-years-old, Hamilton also does not have the luxury of making risky team moves.

Alonso tried bouncing back to teams where he previously saw success across his career and nevertheless, he failed to pick up any more championships.

Hamilton cannot replicate his success with Mercedes over the last decade by simply returning and his best chance of finishing his career on a high is to strap in at Ferrari and ensure he has as much influence on the 2026 car as possible.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

View full biography

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Toto Wolff Fernando Alonso Sebastian Vettel