After his incredible victory in the British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton’s 2024 season really got going. It took him ten races to secure his first podium of the year, a third place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix.
However, he rekindled his final season with Mercedes after winning at Silverstone, taking third in the Hungarian Grand Prix with a superb drive, and winning again at the Belgian Grand Prix after teammate George Russell was disqualified. However, did the 39-year-old get sidetracked throughout the opening three races? Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard agree.
Hamilton has ‘had to be’ thinking about Ferrari.
The most significant announcement in the Formula One world prior to the start of the 2024 season was, naturally, that Hamilton was switching from Mercedes to Ferrari for that season. Hamilton had joined the German team in 2013, which was one of the best driver and team combos in Formula One history. The paddock was stunned by a driver change, with many people taken aback by the decision. However, was Hamilton already thinking about the 2025 Scuderia season?
Speaking on the Formula For Success Podcast, Jordan and Coulthard concur, which was the primary cause of Hamilton’s sluggish season opener. “His thoughts will be partially focused on Ferrari. It has to be,” stated Coulthard, the former driver for McLaren and Red Bull. “Instead of him counting down the season and getting the best he can out of the season, and arguably, if Mercedes keep going as they are, they could bring themselves back into challenging for both championships.”
However, Ferrari has also added a large number of Mercedes employees for the 2025 season—people Hamilton has personally vetted and enjoyed working with for the upcoming Formula One season. Jordan claims that was a major contributing element in the 39-year-old’s bad start to the season.
“I believe that Lewis was very much focused on joining Ferrari at the beginning of the year,” stated former F1 team principal Jordan. “His main priorities were assembling the ideal team and securing Fred Vasseur’s support. They will be thrilled to see Lewis return, and they will be a formidable squad the next season.
Ferrari will be quite formidable since, in my opinion, Lewis is back to his best and is already planning a title campaign for the next year. And who’s to say he’s wrong?” Jordan asked in conclusion.