P1racenews AI automatic summary:
According to Arturo Merzario, who raced for Ferrari in the 1970s, the vast majority of the team did not support Lewis Hamilton being signed by the Prancing Horse.
Former Scuderia driver Arturo Merzario sharply criticized Lewis Hamilton’s difficult start at Ferrari, suggesting the seven-time F1 champion is feeling “demolished” by his new team, with his arrival seen as a backfired “commercial move.”
Hamilton’s underwhelming 2025 season reached a low at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he qualified P12 and called himself “useless” compared to his teammate Charles Leclerc who took pole.
Merzario noted the significant performance gap between Hamilton and Leclerc, with Leclerc leading in qualifying and race results, attributing Hamilton’s struggles to a lack of motivation due to feeling undervalued at Ferrari.
Despite the criticism, Merzario believes Hamilton may still turn things around in his Ferrari chapter, as the seasoned driver understands the importance of strategic risks and has already proven his worth in F1.
Merzario emphasized that Hamilton is not in the same position as Leclerc, who still needs to prove himself as a champion, hinting at a challenging but potentially redeeming future for the British driver at Ferrari.
