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Lewis Hamilton issued three-race warning as Brundle declares ‘no excuses’
Lewis Hamilton is set to embark on a pivotal chapter in his Formula 1 career with Ferrari in the 2025 season. According to Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle, Hamilton will have a maximum of three races to adapt to his new team and show he is up to speed. Brundle believes Hamilton, a seven-time World Champion, has already proven his worth, which justifies his reported $57 million salary at Ferrari.
There have been reports from Italy suggesting that Ferrari might impose team orders early in the season to maximize their chances of securing a World Championship for the first time since 2008. With the 2025 season expected to be fiercely competitive, with Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren all winning races in 2024, Ferrari is keen to use both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as a “two-pronged attack” right from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 16. Despite this, Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, has emphasized that if the situation requires, he will not hesitate to make tough decisions regarding team orders.
Hamilton faces added pressure heading into the season after admitting at the end of 2024 that he felt he was “not fast anymore” after a season where he was outperformed by his Mercedes teammate George Russell in qualifying. This has led to concerns that Hamilton might end up in a support role to Leclerc, rather than having equal standing. However, Brundle believes that Hamilton’s wealth of experience should ensure that he is fully integrated into Ferrari’s setup by the third race of the season—the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on April 6.
Brundle further emphasized that at the highest level of F1, there are no excuses for slow starts, even for veteran drivers like Hamilton. He stated that Ferrari will expect Hamilton to have adapted to both the team and the car within two or three races, making it clear that Hamilton’s speed and performance will be under intense scrutiny. Brundle also made a point of stressing that one should never underestimate Hamilton, a driver with unparalleled experience.
Hamilton was welcomed warmly by Ferrari fans during his first official visits to the team’s Maranello factory and Fiorano test track in January, where hundreds of fans turned out to witness his on-track debut. However, his preparations for the 2025 season encountered a setback when he crashed during a private test in Barcelona. This raised further doubts about Ferrari’s decision to sign Hamilton, with some critics, including former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan, questioning the logic behind replacing Carlos Sainz with the 40-year-old driver.
Nevertheless, Brundle is confident that Hamilton will prove himself to be worth every penny of his salary. He described Hamilton’s move to Ferrari as a “gift that will keep giving” for the sport, highlighting the historical significance of such a pairing—Ferrari and Hamilton are two of the biggest names in F1 history. Brundle believes Hamilton will be motivated to succeed and prove any doubters wrong, particularly those who have suggested he may be past his prime at the age of 40.
However, Hamilton’s transition will not be without challenges. Moving to a new team after spending most of his career at McLaren and Mercedes will require him to adapt quickly to a new environment, including learning Ferrari’s systems and working with a different set of engineers. Brundle noted that while Leclerc has been with Ferrari for several years and knows the team’s inner workings intimately, Hamilton will have to quickly get up to speed with the new team dynamics, which could take time.
To aid his transition, Hamilton has reportedly brought in his long-time trainer Angela Cullen and his manager Marc Hynes to form a strong support team around him. Despite the hurdles, Brundle believes that Hamilton’s energy and determination will help him overcome the initial difficulties and adapt to his new team, making his switch to Ferrari an exciting new chapter in his legendary career.
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