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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton gave a stern reply to former F1 team principal Eddie Jordan's criticism of the Italian team going for him instead of giving Carlos Sainz an extension. The British driver's switch to the Maranello-based outfit for 2025 caught many by surprise, given that he had signed a contract extension with Mercedes in August 2023.
The move was even more shocking as the prancing horse had a stable driver's lineup, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz for the past three years. Many, including Jordan, were left dumbfounded by the Ferrari hierarchy's decision to sign the 40-year-old instead of the Spanish driver, who was in the prime of his career and delivering results. Jordan termed the signing as "absolutely suicidal."
Speaking with Time Magazine, Lewis Hamilton mentioned that he was unfazed by his fellow Brit's criticism and said that he was not bothered by the opinion of "old white men", saying:
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“I’ve always welcomed the negativity,” said Hamilton. “I never, ever reply to any of the older, ultimately, white men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing. How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that.”
The seven-time F1 world champion was welcomed by the Italian team with open arms last month after he made his first official appearance as a Ferrari driver on January 20.
Lewis Hamilton analyzes his first two days at F1 Testing
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton stated that he was confident that the long days in the F1 testing would pay dividends for him in his tenure with the Italian team in the 2025 season.
Speaking with Sky Sports, the 105-time F1 race winner spoke about his first month with the most iconic F1 team on the grid and reflected:
"Long days, but that's what we're here for. I think it will pay dividends going forward. This will continuously be evolving and it's felt seamless, felt easy in a sense of gelling with the team. I've not had to force it and I feel at home. I think it's a bit early to say but I am really enjoying the car. We are slowly bonding I think.
"Yesterday was a so-so day, it was just OK. But we got through all our run plans, we are testing a bunch of things. I'm not doing set-up changes or directing where we want the car to go, whereas today was exploring a bit my interaction with my engineer. So far, I really enjoy driving this car."
Despite not even getting his first race with Ferrari under him, many have predicted Lewis Hamilton to be one of the contenders to take the Drivers' championship in the 2025 season.
