Former Ferrari driver shares why ‘90%’ of insiders disagreed with the decision to sign Lewis Hamilton

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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton enters the summer break after the Hungarian Grand Prix knowing that there’s plenty of work still to do.

On the face of it, Ferrari are exactly where they were last season, sitting second in the constructors’ championship behind McLaren.

However, once you delve into the details, you realise that the situation facing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc is far more worrying.

Last year, Ferrari finished the campaign 14 points behind Andrea Stella’s team, whereas with 10 race weekends still to go, the Scuderia have a 299-point gap to make up if they want to win their first championship since 2008 this season.

Not only that, but Leclerc and Hamilton have yet to win a Grand Prix, with the seven-time world champion’s only success coming in a Sprint Race in China.

Hamilton was delighted for Leclerc after the Hungarian Grand Prix behind closed doors, but his public demeanour was far more concerning.

He had told the media that weekend that Ferrari should consider changing drivers, such was his underperformance.

Hamilton worked harder than ever in pre-season to prepare for his Ferrari debut, but former Scuderia driver Arturo Merzario has heard a worrying message from the team’s ‘insiders’ about the real feeling towards bringing him in from Mercedes over the winter break.

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Arturo Merzario says ‘90% of Ferrari insiders’ didn’t want to sign Lewis Hamilton

Arturo Merzario drove for Ferrari in 1972 and 1973, scoring seven points but never finishing on the podium, before going on to drive for Williams, Fittipaldi, March, Shadow and an F1 team under his own name.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport about Ferrari signing Hamilton, he said: “I think his outburst was ironic in some ways. His position certainly wasn’t what one would expect from a seven-time world champion.

“Rather, it seems to me that Lewis is feeling ‘demolished’ by Ferrari.

“First and foremost, in my opinion, Hamilton’s arrival in Maranello was a commercial move.

“Ninety per cent of Ferrari insiders disagreed, at least from what I understand. And then, when a driver doesn’t feel valued or an integral part of the team’s pursuit of a goal, he loses motivation.

“Why go crazy trying to gain three-tenths while still remaining on the third row?

“He’s not finished. He’s just waiting for the right opportunity. He’ll only take risks when necessary, not for an eighth-place finish.

“Also, because if he ever wanted to leave, he’d find another team. Hamilton has already shown his worth. He’s not in Leclerc’s situation: Charles still has to prove himself a champion.”

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Toto Wolff defends Lewis Hamilton after leaving Mercedes for Ferrari

One of the allies Hamilton can always rely on in the Formula 1 paddock is his former team principal at Mercedes, Toto Wolff.

Wolff and Hamilton created one of the most successful partnerships in F1 history, although in his final years with the Silver Arrows, it was clear that the ground-effect era cars didn’t suit Hamilton as well as the previous generation.

Having failed to finish on the podium this season, Wolff has explained why Hamilton won’t blame Ferrari for his struggles, despite the fact that he and Leclerc are both unhappy with the SF-25.

Leclerc could have become 2025’s latest race winner at the Hungaroring were it not for a mystery issue during his final stint that saw him slip down to fourth.

Jean Alesi criticised Hamilton for a statement he believed Michael Schumacher would never make during his time with the team.

The hope among all Scuderia fans if Hamilton will come back refreshed and ready to go after the summer break to make the most of the final 10 race weekends this season.