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F1 pundit and former champion Jacques Villeneuve feels Lewis Hamilton has been forced to pull up his socks now after taking it relatively easy during Mercedes's dominance. The German team dominated the sport from 2014–21, winning eight consecutive constructors' titles.
Hamilton was the lead driver of the team during this time and went on a historic run. The Mercedes driver won as many as six drivers' titles and raked in countless wins and pole positions. It was this era that helped him climb to the top of most statistics, boasting more than a hundred wins (103) and pole positions (197).
During this time, the Brit was teamed with Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas, and talking about that time, Villeneuve opined that Hamilton didn't need to be at his best to win.
Talking about the shock to the system the 39-year-old felt when George Russell joined the team in 2022, Villeneuve told GPFans:
"It's hard for a driver when you've spent years winning, and some years easy winning, especially when you had Bottas as a teammate. He was alone in the championship, basically. He didn't even need to be at his best to win like he had to do in his first championship. Or a few other years against Nico because Nico was really pushing him."
The 52-year-old Canadian added:
"He got really comfortable with Bottas, and he had a little bit of a wake-up call in 2022 when George [Russell] joined. George just had that young energy, wanting to destroy the world, and he did a lot better last year. Now, going to Ferrari might be like that little shock that you get... to give him that 'youth' attitude."
Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari is one of the best news, says Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve further said that Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari is good news for the driver, the Prancing Horses, and F1 as a whole. The former world champion felt that this could reinvigorate Hamilton and build up the hunger that he seemingly lost during his Mercedes stint.
The 1997 drivers' world champion stated, via the aforementioned source:
"It's one of the best news we've had in a long, long time. Whether you're a fan of Lewis or not, it's huge news. It's amazing news for F1, for Ferrari, and for Lewis. It's good for everyone."
He added:
"It will be exciting to follow, and hopefully, we get the Lewis of his winning days back. That change might build up the hunger again, that little adrenaline rush that wasn't there with the Mercedes that wasn't winning anymore."
Hamilton is going to Ferrari on a 2+1 contract which means the driver would be a part of the Italian team for a long time. The driver will be hoping to achieve more success and add another feather to his already illustrious cap.
