F1 pundit claims Lewis Hamilton could find it “hard” to integrate at Ferrari amidst Mercedes poaching ban

Lewis Hamilton will need to adapt to the culture at Maranello once he joins Ferrari in 2025.

F1 pundit claims Lewis Hamilton could find it “hard” to integrate at Ferrari amidst Mercedes poaching ban

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

The first race of the 2024 season is just under a month away, as the grid fastens its preparation for the upcoming season. The upcoming season would mark Lewis Hamilton‘s final season at Mercedes following his bombshell move to Ferrari. Hence, amidst this development, F1 pundit reckoned how difficult the move would be for the Briton.

Martin Brundle mentioned how hard the entire integration into the Italian constructor would be for the seven-time world champion. Hamilton’s language barrier would certainly cause problems for him and also the fact that he doesn’t know the entire crew as well as Charles Leclerc does could pose further problems to the driver, according to Brundle.

He’s [Lewis Hamilton] got to integrate and it’s hard, because I don’t think he’ll speak the language, he certainly won’t speak the language and know the team like Charles Leclerc does. So you’ve got to go and find out where all the buttons are to press.
Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 podcast (H&T: PlanetF1)
YouTube video

Hence, Lewis Hamilton would ideally want to take his Mercedes crew alongside him to fit in better at Maranello. However, following Brackley’s non-poaching clause, the Briton cannot move people between the two teams. Regardless, the seven-time world champion is well respected within the community and hence would also be highly respected within the Italian constructor according to the journalist.

I think Lewis will want to try to take a few people with him. But there’ll be non-compete clauses where he can’t really do that. But you really want to take some of your own gang with youso that you can hit the ground running.

Lewis Hamilton could pull off a Michael Schumacher in Ferrari

Furthermore, Brundle was questioned over Hamilton’s performance arc after switching to a completely different constructor in F1. The Briton explained that there is the possibility of Hamilton performing much like Michael Schumacher who switched to Ferrari later in his career. However, the 64-year-old wasn’t hesitant in accepting the other course that the seven-time world champion could follow with his late-career move.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc (Via: IMAGO)

Brundle asserted that Hamilton could do a Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel move and produce a somewhat near-miss from the championship. Regardless of the route, the 39-year-old still has multiple years left in his bank for the sport and would definitely produce great results at Maranello. Time will tell about the opportunities that Ferrari would provide the Briton within Formula 1.

Regardless, Lewis Hamilton will race for Mercedes one last time in 2023. The former world champion wishes to conclude the season on a high and potentially win the championship in the coming season. Brackley had spoken highly over the development of the W15 challenger for the team and hence the team would expectedly produce great results down the season.

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