Mercedes’s race coordinator revealed that Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move wasn’t much surprising as he had hinted about it in the past.
Lewis Hamilton shocked the entire world by announcing a move to Ferrari from the 2025 season, ditching his long-time team Mercedes. The 39-year-old is likely to retire as a Ferrari driver in a couple of years. However, Mercedes’s team coordinator Stephen Lord believed that the move wasn’t as surprising as anticipated by everyone.
Lewis Hamilton raced for McLaren in the past and also scored a world championship under the papaya squad. Stephen Lord recalled that the Briton switching teams came up in a conversation in the past. However, Lord always believed that Hamilton would consider moving to McLaren but never Ferrari as depicted by the events.
A few years ago, it came up in conversation. I actually always thought he might be tempted back to McLaren, but I was completely wrong.
Stephen Lord said on the Beyond the Grid podcast
Lord recounted that he had a conversation with Hamilton a couple of years ago regarding a change in teams. The Briton back then talked highly about a Formula 1 driver’s desire to race for Ferrari at least once in their lifetime. As a result, the coordinator was not surprised at all when the 39-year-old declared his switch to Ferrari.
But yeah, we had a conversation years ago, and he always said that he felt most drivers had a desire to, at least at some point in their career, drive the Ferrari. So I wasn’t surprised at all.
Stephen Lord added
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move his ‘plan all along,’ claims Mercedes stalwart:
— Mercedes race team coordinator Stephen Lord claimed that Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari for 2025 was “not at all” surprising, believing it was his “plan all along.”
— Speaking on the Beyond the… pic.twitter.com/l8hD8hFR9I
— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) December 22, 2024
Every F1 driver ‘desires’ to join Ferrari once in their lifetime
Ferrari is the most historic team on the Formula 1 grid with a rich past since the sport’s inception. Stephen Lord acknowledged this factor and reckoned that due to this history, many talented drivers desired to join Maranello just like Hamilton. Lord pointed out Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel in particular as they changed teams after achieving monumental success in the sport.
I mean, we can see through the history of the sport, there is a desire amongst great drivers to go to Ferrari and win World Championships there. Fernando [Alonso] did it, Seb [Vettel] did it. I think that will always remain.
Stephen Lord noted
The 2025 season will put forth multiple changes to the team in terms of personnel. Hamilton is expected to take the Italian constructor back to their championship-winning days in Formula 1. Maranello has also showcased an upturn in performance in recent years and could help the Briton contend for a drivers’ championship.
