Ferrari's move to sign Lewis Hamilton under scrutiny as former adversary raises 'age' of the driver as a concern

Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa claimed that he would not have hired Lewis Hamilton as a potential driver for the Italian team due to his "age" not his talent. The seven-time F1 world champion surprised everyone with his decision to switch to the Maranello-based outfit for the 2025 season and end his partnership with Mercedes in 2024.

Despite two of the biggest names in F1 coming together in the form of the British driver and the Italian team, many have been skeptical about the move due to Hamilton's form and age in the sport. Hamilton's former rival Felipe Massa is one of them.

Speaking with Brazilian outlet Estadao, the 43-year-old said of the impending move, via PlanetF1:

“If you asked me if I would hire Hamilton, as the head of Ferrari, as a driver, yes, I would, without a doubt. Because of the talent he has. He is one of the most incredible drivers in F1.

“But because of his age, maybe not. Because of his age, if you look at the sport, age matters. And we have to understand how much age is weighing on him in this situation or not. Age takes its toll in some areas, that’s normal. Age is something that has weighed negatively on several drivers, as it did for Schumacher.”

Hamilton and the German team enjoyed 12 successful years in the sport, which included six driver's championships, eight consecutive Constructor's Championships, and 84 races from 2013 to 2024.

Former Ferrari boss dismisses fears regarding Lewis Hamilton's move to the Italian team

Former Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo stated that the Prancing Horse had not signed Lewis Hamilton for commercial reasons as he believed that the drivers were not the problem for the team.

Speaking with the Italian station Radio GR Parlamento, the 77-year-old spoke about his fears for the 2025 season and reflected:

“In recent years, Ferrari’s problem had nothing to do with its drivers. [Lewis] joining Ferrari is more than just a marketing plan as he wants to end his career by still winning in the red.

"The choice of Hamilton is of course a risk on the one hand because you bring in a champion who has already won so much and wants to continue that at Ferrari."

Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari on a multi-year contract which will see him race for the team until the end of the 2026 season, at least in his bid to bring glory back to Maranello. He looks forward to working in tandem with Charles Leclerc within the team to overcome the next hurdle.