David Coulthard told ‘don’t be silly’ after ‘unbelievable’ Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari claim

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Lewis Hamilton quitting Mercedes to join Ferrari after the 2024 Formula 1 season was ‘not unbelievable’ as his move to Maranello was only a matter of time for Eddie Jordan.

The former F1 team owner has chimed back at David Coulthard for suggesting that Hamilton swapping the Silver Arrows for the Scuderia is ‘unbelievable’. Ferrari announced that the 39-year-old will replace Carlos Sainz racing in red with Charles Leclerc from 2025 last Thursday.

Hamilton has agreed to a multi-year contract with Ferrari after activating a release clause in his terms with Mercedes. He had only committed to the 2024 and 2025 seasons in Brackley last August. But the seven-time F1 champion has decided to seek a new challenge next year.

Lewis Hamilton chose Ferrari over Mercedes after two winless seasons

Mercedes are now on the hunt for Hamilton’s replacement a decade on from his move from McLaren. The Stevenage-born star switched Woking for Brackley in 2013 and went on to win six of his titles so far from 2014 until 2020. But Mercedes’ dominance has, now, evaporated.

Hamilton endured his first winless season in F1 in 2022 and failed to win a Grand Prix, again, in 2023. He further scored just 234 points in 2023 – still enough to take third in the drivers’ standings – which were his fewest since the 2013 season when the Briton only penned 189.

Eddie Jordan rubbishes David Coulthard’s claim the move is ‘unbelievable’

Now, Hamilton and Mercedes will contest a final Formula 1 season together in 2024 before he moves to Ferrari. Even though he rejected an approach from the Scuderia to re-sign with the Silver Arrows last year. The Daily Mail reported a potential £40m contract back last May.

So, given rumours have long been circling that Hamilton could make a move from Mercedes to Maranello, his decision to join Ferrari from 2025 is not ‘unbelievable’ – like Coulthard has suggested – as far as the former Formula 1 team owner-turned pundit, Jordan, is concerned.

Coulthard noted on the Formula for Success podcast: “The huge news is unbelievable, Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari. I never imagined [it would happen].”

But Jordan chimed straight back, adding: “It’s not unbelievable. Don’t be silly, David, even by your own standards. Last September you asked me, ‘What about the rumours of Lewis going to Ferrari?’ And what did we say? We both agreed [that it could].

“So, why are we now, suddenly – four, five months later – all perturb and saying, ‘Oh my god! Oh my god!’ Look what’s happened. We told everyone in September.”