Lewis Hamilton Takes A Stand Against Ferrari Move Critic

Lewis Hamilton has taken a stand against critics of his Ferrari move including former team owner Eddie Jordan, who predicted that Hamilton will have a problem at Ferrari, and that the team ousting Carlos Sainz for him was "suicidal." Responding to Jordan's comments, the seven-time world champion has stated that he doesn't "reply to any of the older, ultimately, white men," who have commented on his career.

Hamilton's surprise move to Ferrari after twelve seasons at Mercedes has sparked significant interest within the F1 community, with fans eager to see how he adapts to his new team, especially following his struggles with Mercedes in the ground effect era that began in 2022. The Briton hopes to secure his eighth title at Ferrari and fulfill his long-time dream of racing for the legendary team. However, the switch has also faced criticism from several F1 insiders, including Jordan, who has shared doubts about Ferrari's decision.

Jordan revealed his views about the switch on the Formula For Success podcast after Hamilton announced his move in February last year, heavily criticizing Ferrari for getting rid of Sainz for Hamilton. As quoted by Planet F1, he said:

“For me, I think the FFS moment of the year was Lewis signing to Ferrari. I just never saw that coming.

“My FFS is, I say to John Elkann, who’s the chairman of that group, what the f**k was he thinking about in getting rid of Carlos, when he had a very happy, friendly, structured team that knew how to work together.

“Lewis is a particularly nice person. I’m not sure there’s many nicer people on the grid than Lewis Hamilton, so I don’t think he’ll have a problem there.

“However, my FFS goes to John Elkann of Ferrari for even authorising, signing off on that deal. It was absolutely suicidal to get rid of Carlos.”

Now though, Hamilton has addressed the criticism, stating that he doesn't mind the negativity but stressed that he doesn't take advice from everyone. He told Time Magazine:

“I’ve always welcomed the negativity.

“I never, ever reply to any of the older, ultimately, white men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing.

“How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that.”

The 40-year-old driver’s journey with Ferrari has been progressing positively so far, as he heads into the final day of pre-season testing with his new team and is adapting well to the 2025 Ferrari SF-25.