"George Russell is now starting to give Lewis Hamilton a bit of a hiding": Former world champion on the F1 legend's poor start to the season

Former world champion Alan Jones feels Lewis Hamilton might not be the best choice for Ferrari, given that the driver is struggling to keep up with his Mercedes teammate so far this year.

Hamilton announced at the start of the season that he was going to leave the Mercedes and move to the Italian squad on a multi-year contract after the 2024 season. The Briton has been a part of Mercedes since 2013 and has won six world titles with the team. Since 2022, however, the team has suffered from a slump in form and Hamilton himself has not won a single race.

Discussing Hamilton's upcoming move to Ferrari, Alan Jones questioned what the driver brought to the team. In an interview with the Herald Sun, the former driver was questioned if Hamilton could be the final piece of the puzzle for Ferrari. Pointing to the driver's recent run against George Russell, Jones felt otherwise. He said:

“I don’t know whether [Hamilton] going to Ferrari is going to be the end all and be all of what Ferrari needs. Okay, it was good because when he signed for Ferrari their share price just went up by about $20 billion or something. But at the end of the day, Lewis has really got to start to pull his finger out a little bit quite frankly."

He added:

"George Russell is now starting to give him a bit of a hiding now most times and the more that goes on, the more that will play on him. Once again the more fashion shows that he goes to and the more that he sprouts around the place, that is not going to help him either. I really don’t think it was [the right move for Ferrari] to be honest. In terms of increasing their share price, yes. But I just don’t think he is going to be the [answer].”

Former world champion thinks Lewis Hamilton is past his prime

Lewis Hamilton will move to Ferrari at 40-years-old next season, and will team up with young sensation Charles Leclerc at the Italian outfit. Leclerc, who replaced Sebastian Vettel in 2019, has been signed on a long-term contract himself.

In the eyes of many, including former Ferrari driver Giancarlo Fisichella, Hamilton may find it hard to beat Leclerc, especially since the young driver has been aligned with the team for a long time now.

According to Alan Jones, Hamilton is now past his prime, and that does play a role in his belief that the Mercedes driver is not a great addition to Ferrari. When questioned in the interview if the Briton's best days were behind him, Jones said:

“I think so, yes.”

Lewis Hamilton had a solid 2023 F1 season given the circumstances, where he outscored his teammate George Russell and finished in P3 in the championship, just a few points behind Sergio Perez. The deal with Ferrari is certainly interesting, but we'll have to wait and see what it materialises into in terms of results.