Villeneuve: Ferrari-bound Hamilton must exit Mercedes as a winner

Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes it is crucial for Lewis Hamilton to end his tenure with Mercedes on a high note before his highly anticipated move to Ferrari in 2025.

Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes will mark the end of a 12-year partnership that has seen him win six of his seven world titles with the Brackley squad.

However, it’s been anything but an easy period for the Briton since the advent of F1’s ground-effect regulations in 2022, with Mercedes struggling to get to grips with the sport’s most recent rule cycle.

Between Jeddah in 2021 and this year’s British Grand Prix, it took the 39-year-old F1 veteran 57 races to revisit the top step of the podium.

Furthermore, since 2022, Hamilton has often been outshone by teammate George Russell, particularly in qualifying, casting a shadow over Hamilton’s prospects.

• Read also: Russell admits 'it wasn’t our finest Friday' with engine issue

Speaking to Sky Sports' F1 in Azerbaijan, Villeneuve emphasized that Hamilton must exit Mercedes as a winner, ensuring he doesn't carry any negative momentum into what will likely be a challenging transition to the Scuderia.

“It’s super important,” said the Canadian. “It’s been so long. He’s been seen as winning when the car was easily winning and when it became hard, Russell was a little bit ahead.

“That’s not the baggage he wants to bring to Ferrari. It’s a chaotic team - not an easy team to work in. You want to arrive as a winner.”

Ferrari has long been regarded as a team filled with both potential and challenges, often plagued by internal disarray and inconsistency.

Villeneuve suggests that Hamilton, despite his experience and status as one of the sport’s most successful drivers, must bring confidence and momentum to Ferrari in order to thrive.

Arriving at a chaotic team with recent struggles in Mercedes would only compound the difficulties he will face in Maranello.

As for Hamilton’s immediate future, the Briton concluded Friday’s running third in FP2, a performance he deemed as encouraging.

“It was a really good day. I enjoyed today, I hit the ground running from the get-go and made incremental steps with the set-up," he said.

"For once it felt like we didn’t have steps that we had to come back on, it was consistently building.

Though Red Bull and Ferrari still seem faster, Hamilton remains hopeful for the weekend, though careful to temper expectations.

"We’ll stay cautious and try to do the best we can with what we have.”

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