Jacques Villeneuve believes an "emotional rollercoaster" awaits Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari next season, given the Briton’s impassioned investment in his performance in F1.
F1 fans and indeed the entire racing community were taken aback ahead of the start of the 2024 season by Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes at the end of the year and switch his allegiance to Ferrari.
The sensational move, facilitated by a release clause in his contract with the Brackley squad, is seen by many as a match made in heaven. But Villeneuve believes the partnership will also yield a whirlwind of emotions.
Citing Hamilton's recent resurgence, particularly his emotional outburst after his win in last month’s the British GP at Silverstone, the 1997 F1 World Champion believes the legendary driver thrives on pressure and is ready for the intense Ferrari experience.
“Lewis Hamilton will be an emotional rollercoaster at Ferrari," he told online betting site Instantcasino.com.
"He seems to be very emotional in his driving, in the highs and lows, and it seems to affect him quite a lot. You can tell he was on a roll and in the zone at Silverstone. He hasn’t been in the zone like that for a while.
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“Most of the season, it’s looked like Hamilton was accepting defeat to George Russell, which is weird. In Silverstone, his killer instinct was back and he made the difference in the rain.
“That’s the champion we know, he knows how to take hold of an occasion.”
Hamilton's revival, long-awaited by his fans, has followed Mercedes’ own resurgence after two seasons of relative underperformance.
Prior to the Briton’s triumph at Silverstone, Russell had secured Mercedes' first victory since the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix during the Austrian Grand Prix.
The German outfit’s remarkable turnaround has inevitably prompted some to question Hamilton's decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari, especially as the Scuderia has struggled recently, falling behind McLaren and Mercedes in the fight against Red Bull.
Despite these concerns, Villeneuve is optimistic about the 39-year-old’s move to Ferrari. He argues that the switch presents the ultimate challenge for Hamilton and offers the latter an opportunity to cement his legacy as the greatest F1 driver of all time.
“Lewis Hamilton needed a change anyway," said the Canadian. “He won’t regret leaving Mercedes this year.
“Ferrari is the ultimate challenge, and if Hamilton can win a championship with them then he will undoubtedly go down as the greatest of all time, across any generation.
"It doesn’t matter how many championships Hamilton ends up with because some of his seasons with Mercedes were easy. It’s these challenges that set him apart.”
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