Has Lewis Hamilton made the wrong decision to quit Mercedes for Ferrari?
"He’ll be thinking about his future a bit - ‘was that the right decision?’"
Lewis Hamilton might find himself considering the decision to quit Mercedes after his Silverstone glory.
Hamilton won the F1 British Grand Prix on Sunday, his first race victory since 2021.
It was his last home race with Mercedes, the team that his accomplishments are synonymous with, because he will go to Ferrari next year.
Hamilton confirmed that he has signed for Ferrari for 2025 earlier this year, when Mercedes’ improvements appeared to be a world away.
But now, through Russell in Austria and now Hamilton at Silverstone, Mercedes have won consecutive grands prix to match Ferrari’s tally for this season.
“Sometimes you need a switch, you need something to change so that you are hungry again,” Jenson Button said on Sky Sports after the British Grand Prix.
“We have seen many drivers do it, then perform at a better level. Sebastian Vettel, for example.
“After he goes to bed, hopefully after a few beers, he’ll be thinking about his future a bit - ‘was that the right decision?’
“It could be that Lewis goes there and suddenly [Ferrari] are on an upturn.”
Naomi Schiff added: “A couple of races ago we did not expect back-to-back victories for Mercedes.
“So, things can change so quickly in this game.
“He’s got the longest-standing relationship with a team in Formula 1 history.
“It is nice to refresh things, and do something different.
“He has become the oldest race winner in the 21st century. So he’s at the tail-end of his career and you might want to try something different. To race for Ferrari is an honour.
“Right now, they’ve got to focus on ending this season fantastically.”
Mercedes, after 12 out of 20 rounds this year, now seem to be in a stronger state than Ferrari.
Ferrari were Red Bull’s nearest competitors at the start of the season but have been outperformed by McLaren and Mercedes recently.
Noises surrounding Mercedes’ powerful 2026 engine when the new era begins are also promising for the Brackley team.
But, by then, Hamilton will be challenging for more Silverstone victories in the famous red of Ferrari.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
