Peter Windsor explains why Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is a ‘crazy decision’

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Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has been one of the more intriguing moves in the driver market, as it pairs both the most successful driver and team in Formula 1.

The move will see Lewis Hamilton end his 11-year tenure at Mercedes having achieved six of his seven World Championships at the team, switching to Ferrari at the beginning of the 2025 season in a bid to achieve an eighth title.

The progress made at Ferrari has been the main driver behind the move, with former F1 driver Karun Chandhok remarking that Hamilton will have ‘enjoyed’ watching the team from afar.

Mercedes has enjoyed a resurgence in the last couple of races compared to its winless 2023 season, with Hamilton taking wins at Silverstone and Belgium.

While discussing a potential move for Max Verstappen at Mercedes on the Cameron F1 podcast, Peter Windsor remarked his thoughts on the move by Hamilton and Ferrari.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Peter Windsor brands Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari move ‘crazy’

Ferrari is on the verge of potentially mounting a title challenge now that the field has converged for the first time in the current regulation set.

Many of the teams are set to switch their main focus to their 2026 cars, although there is still room for the Scuderia to improve their chances with their current car for 2025.

But instead of Hamilton, Windsor believes the team should have employed another high-profile individual in F1 who was also on the market this year.

“Lewis to Ferrari, for me, is a crazy decision because they have a good team anyway,” said Windsor.

“They don’t need Lewis Hamilton to take them to the next level, they have everything there. What they needed was Adrian Newey but they haven’t got that.”

Adrian Newey expected at Aston Martin

Adrian Newey is expected to make the switch to Aston Martin having announced his intention to leave Red Bull after this season.

The 65-year-old held talks with Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, with the talks reportedly reaching an advanced stage before Newey was told certain demands over the handling of the technical team could not be met according to Italian media.

With an offer from the billionaire owner of Aston Martin, Lawrence Stroll, coupled with impressive facilities and a recent hire from Ferrari that had the approval of Newey, the move to the Silverstone-based team looks set for the future of one of F1’s legendary designers.

Hamilton meanwhile, faces the prospect of going up against Charles Leclerc. A driver that former karting rival Max Verstappen has backed to be a future World Champion, although Windsor does not expect the seven-time world champion to underestimate Leclerc.