Jackie Stewart shares what he finds ‘unusual’ about Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari

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Lewis Hamilton is fast approaching the end of his time with his Mercedes as he prepares to join Ferrari. In just over two months’ time, he’ll complete his final race with the team in Abu Dhabi.

The events of the 2024 season will likely have reinforced Hamilton’s decision. Mercedes sit fourth in the constructors’ championship, 112 points behind Ferrari.

They’ve scored just seven podiums in the first 18 rounds, half as many as Fred Vasseur’s squad have managed. The British driver will be optimistic of mounting an immediate challenge for his eighth world title at Maranello.

But while a parting of ways may be in his best interests, it still promises to be a profoundly emotional occasion. Hamilton has, after all, won six titles during his time with the Silver Arrows.

That makes it the most successful partnership in Formula 1 history, eclipsing Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. Schumacher won five straight championships with the Scuderia between 2000 and 2004.

Hamilton will give way to 18-year-old academy graduate Kimi Antonelli at Brackley. He, in turn, has ousted Carlos Sainz from his Ferrari drive ahead of a hotly-anticipated match-up with Charles Leclerc.

Jackie Stewart on the ‘unusual’ timing of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari

Hamilton is one of the greatest British sportsmen in history, but predecessor Jackie Stewart also features on that list. Stewart won three world championships between 1969 and 1973.

Impressively, he would finish on the podium in 43 of the 99 races he started, winning 27 of them. He also scored 17 pole positions.

Discussing Hamilton’s Ferrari move in the Racing News 365 podcast, Stewart said a transfer of this magnitude would normally happen earlier in a driver’s career. He’ll turn 40 in January of his debut for the team in Melbourne.

But the Scotsman has no doubt that he’s good enough to succeed. He pointed to his epic win at the British GP in July, which ended a two-and-a-half-year drought.

“It’s more difficult for him to do it at 40 years than it would have been if he had been 25 or 30,” he said. “But he’s still got the skill, as is obvious at the present time, such as the British Grand Prix this year.

“It’s unusual. But at some point he has to retire as a racing driver, and he feels that time has not yet arrived. And I can understand that.”

Peter Windsor baffled by Mercedes decision that angered Lewis Hamilton

There were signs of tension between Hamilton and Mercedes following the Singapore GP. The 39-year-old has struggled in qualifying throughout 2024 but made a welcome improvement at Marina Bay as he took third on the grid, beating teammate George Russell.

However, he felt the team’s strategy call condemned him in the race. He was the only frontrunning driver to start on the soft tyres, forcing him to pit earlier and handing his rivals a clear advantage in the second stint.

Russell knew Hamilton wouldn’t ‘be happy’ and sure enough, he dropped from P3 to P6 at the flag. He was openly critical of his team at a fan event afterwards.

Peter Windsor can’t understand Mercedes’ strategy, which was geared towards gaining track position at the start. He feels it was naive to expect Hamilton to pass reigning world champion Max Verstappen on one of the shortest runs down to the first corner.