Flavio Briatore, who previously managed Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso during their championship-winning seasons in Formula 1, still maintains a strong interest in the sport. Despite being banned from the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix due to his involvement in the infamous Crashgate scandal, Briatore recently shared his thoughts on the potential blockbuster move of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari. According to Briatore, if Hamilton were to join Ferrari, he believes the British driver would perform at a similar level to Charles Leclerc, who he considers to be a highly talented and underrated driver. Briatore even predicts that Hamilton may struggle to stay ahead of Leclerc in the 2025 season.
Briatore also touched on the impact of driving uncompetitive cars on the performance of drivers like Hamilton. He suggested that when top drivers find themselves in cars that are not up to par, their contributions to the team may be limited. This could be a reference to Mercedes’ recent decline in performance and how it has affected Hamilton’s motivation. Despite being a record-breaking Grand Prix winner, Hamilton has been unable to add to his tally of 103 victories over the past two years. This must be a bitter pill to swallow for a driver who has been accustomed to winning consistently throughout his career, at least until 2022. If the first two races of the 2024 season are any indication, Hamilton may face another winless season in 2024.
Whether Ferrari will be able to provide Hamilton with a car capable of winning races next year depends on their ability to surpass the dominant Red Bull team. Currently, Red Bull’s RB20 car is setting the pace and leading the way in all aspects of the sport. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have secured two consecutive 1-2 finishes in the opening rounds of the 2024 season, leaving the other nine teams in their wake. According to Briatore, beating Red Bull this year or even in 2025 will be a difficult task. He highlights the significant lead that Red Bull has over its competitors, with Verstappen finishing the Bahrain Grand Prix a staggering 22 seconds ahead of his teammate Perez. In Saudi, Verstappen’s lead was eight seconds, with an additional five-second penalty for Perez due to a pitlane incident.
Briatore continues to praise Verstappen, comparing his dominance in the Red Bull car to the likes of Ayrton Senna in McLaren, Michael Schumacher in Ferrari, and Fernando Alonso in Renault. He expresses his confidence in Ferrari’s ability to remain the second-best team on the grid but emphasizes the need for significant progress in their car’s performance. According to Briatore, no driver in the world can compensate for the deficit of an underperforming car, highlighting the importance of Ferrari’s development in order to challenge Red Bull’s supremacy.