Lewis Hamilton warned about repeat of Daniel Ricciardo…read more
Lewis Hamilton has been cautioned that his transition to Ferrari could mirror Daniel Ricciardo’s unsuccessful stint at McLaren, with challenges adapting to the car potentially hindering his performance. While Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has been a major talking point, it comes with inherent risks, as seen in Ricciardo’s brief and largely disappointing period with McLaren. Despite an impressive victory at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, Ricciardo’s time at McLaren was marked by struggles, with the Australian driver unable to adapt to the car’s unique characteristics. Over two seasons, he faced consistent difficulties, and ultimately, McLaren decided to part ways with him a year before the end of his contract. Ricciardo was comprehensively outperformed by his teammate, Lando Norris, and could never get comfortable with the 2021 and 2022 McLaren cars, which led to a difficult relationship between driver and team.
This situation has raised concerns about Hamilton’s ability to adjust to life at Ferrari. While the seven-time World Champion has long been synonymous with Mercedes, where he enjoyed unparalleled success, the switch to Ferrari marks a significant change. Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Anthony Davidson has warned Hamilton that adapting to Ferrari’s car could be a challenging process, similar to the difficulties Ricciardo experienced at McLaren.
Davidson explained that one of the primary hurdles Hamilton may face is adjusting to the car’s controls. “The controls, like the pedals, the steering wheel, those are things he will have to adapt to,” Davidson noted in an interview with RacingNews365. He pointed out that even some of the most experienced drivers, like Kimi Räikkönen when he returned to Ferrari in 2007, had issues with the feel of the car’s steering in comparison to their previous team. This adaptation challenge is one that all drivers must face when switching teams, as every car feels unique, even if they have similar performance levels.
Davidson further drew parallels with Ricciardo’s difficulties at McLaren, particularly with the car’s brakes. Despite working closely with the engineers to fine-tune the car to his preferences, Ricciardo never quite got comfortable with the McLaren’s handling. As Davidson explained, “Sometimes, it will never feel like the car you want it to in terms of controls, no matter how much you work with the engineers to try and rectify it.”
Davidson expressed hope that Hamilton would be fortunate enough to quickly adapt to the Ferrari and experience a smooth transition. He suggested that if the car’s feel becomes intuitive to Hamilton, much like his Mercedes, he could quickly get up to speed. However, he also reminded that there’s always a risk with any driver change: sometimes the car just doesn’t feel like “home,” and it takes longer to settle in, even with a driver of Hamilton’s caliber.
Hamilton’s ability to adapt to Ferrari will be one of the most closely watched storylines in Formula 1, as the legendary driver attempts to achieve success with a new team after a dominant career with Mercedes.
