Lewis Hamilton was not wanted by 90 per cent of Ferrari staff, claims ex-driver

Ex-Formula 1 driver Arturo Merzario claims 90 per cent of Ferrari staff were against the idea of signing Lewis Hamilton.

The 82-year-old Italian made his F1 debut for Ferrari and still holds strong ties to the Maranello team.

Getty

However, Merzario has dropped a huge bombshell by claiming Hamilton’s arrival was nothing more than a commercial operation for Ferrari.

“In my opinion, Hamilton‘s arrival at Maranello was a commercial operation,” he said.

“From what I know, 90 per cent of the employees didn’t approve of this decision, and then, when the driver doesn’t feel valued or an integral part of the group, he loses motivation.

“Why go crazy trying to gain three-tenths of a second when you’re not going to get off the third row?”

Hamilton’s start to life at Ferrari has not gone as expected.

The 40-year-old sits 42 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc in the drivers standings and is yet to claim a podium finish in his opening 14 races.

And the Brit has been self-critical of his own performances having called himself ‘useless’ following a 12th-placed finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this month.

Hamilton also told Ferrari to ‘change driver’ as a result of his performance at the Hungaroring.

Is there any way back for Hamilton at Ferrari?

Merzario believes the best is yet to come from the seven-time world champion, despite his gripes.

“This isn’t over. He’s waiting for the right opportunity,” he added.

Getty

Getty

“He’s only going to take risks when necessary, not for eighth place.

“Also because if he wanted to leave, he’d find another team.

“Hamilton has already proven his worth, he’s not in Charles’s position, he has to prove he’s a champion.”

Meanwhile, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has admitted that he and Lewis Hamilton underestimated the challenge facing them in joining the Italian team.

Hamilton, who occupies sixth place in the drivers standings, left Mercedes after 12 years to embark on a new challenge with Ferrari but has struggled to show his best form.

“Lewis and I, we collectively, probably underestimated the change of environment, and the fact that he spent, for me, 20 years in the same team,” Vasseur told The Race.

AFP

“McLaren was Mercedes, and then he moved to Mercedes, an English team [based in Brackley], same engine guys, that same culture and so on.

“So, he spent 2006 to 2024, 18 years, in this environment, and then he arrived at Ferrari. And we were stupidly expecting that he will have everything under control.

“He’s not the guy who changed team every two years,” Vasseur added.

“You have guys on the grid that, if you have a look on Carlos, for example, he did Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, us and Williams in eight years.

“He changed four times. He’s used to dealing with this. Lewis was not the case.

“Culturally speaking, there is a bigger difference between Ferrari and Mercedes than between Mercedes and McLaren. And this we underestimated.”