Signing Lewis Hamilton was a commercial decision, 90% of Ferrari insiders didn't want him, claims F1 insider

Lewis Hamilton's signing was a commercial decision, as 90% of the Ferrari personnel were not in favor of bringing him on, that's the view of former F1 driver Arturo Merzario. As someone who has a few close ties within the Italian marque, the revelation does come as a surprise.

Last season, Lewis Hamilton shocked the F1 world when he announced early in the year that he was leaving Mercedes and moving to Ferrari in 2025. The driver had achieved a lot of success within the German team and now was looking at a different challenge where he could potentially emulate Michael Schumacher by achieving success at the Italian team.

14 races in, things have not gone the way he would have hoped. The driver is struggling to even keep up with teammate Charles Leclerc. On the other hand, even Ferrari as a team is not on a stable footing. As a result, on weekends where Leclerc pulls off something special, Hamilton comes off looking far worse.

This was evident in the race in Hungary, where Lewis Hamilton lashed out in front of the media and called himself useless. The driver has been trying to get a better grip of the car under him, but that is yet to happen.

This has raised questions about whether Ferrari is even regretting bringing the driver to the team. Arturo Merzario, however, feels that the driver was just brought for his financial appeal, as 90% of the squad didn't want him. As a result, lack of motivation could be a factor here.

Talking to Gazzetta Dello Sport, he said,

“Firstly, in my opinion, Hamilton's arrival in Maranello was a commercial decision. 90% of insiders at Ferrari disagreed, at least as far as I know. And then, when a driver does not feel valued or an integral part of the group to achieve a goal, he loses motivation. Why go crazy to gain three tenths while still remaining in the third row?”

If Lewis Hamilton wanted to leave, he'd find another team

If the motivation is at an all-time low, does this mean that the driver could be looking to leave the team? Arturo doesn't think so, as, according to him, Lewis Hamilton is just waiting for the car to get better, and then he'll push. If the Brit wanted to leave, there would be other teams willing to sign him, as he has already proved himself. He said,

"He's not finished. He is just waiting for the right opportunity. He will only risk when necessary, not for an eighth position. Also because, if he ever wanted to leave, he would find another team. Hamilton has already shown what he is worth. He's not in Leclerc's situation: Charles has yet to prove he's a champion”

The second half of the season is going to be crucial for Lewis Hamilton because it is not only about getting closer to Charles Leclerc this season but also about the momentum going into 2026. The driver cannot afford to start the second year from a deficit, and that's something that he'll be careful of as well.