Lewis Hamilton told to 'pull his finger out' in scathing attack with Ferrari move ridiculed
Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari next year
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F1 icon Alan Jones has sensationally claimed Lewis Hamilton needs to 'pull his finger out' if he wants to make his switch to Ferrari a success.
The 2024 F1 season is already being overlooked with focus very much on next year when Hamilton changes teams for just the second time in his illustrious career.
The 39-year-old was largely expected to end his career with Mercedes, but Ferrari took advantage of a tentative contract from the Silver Arrows to snap up the British racing superstar on a multi-year deal from 2025.
It's a move that is set to revolutionise the sport and completely shake up the grid with many more drivers out of contract for next season.
Lewis Hamilton agreed to join Ferrari in 2025 before the start of this season
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F1 is in desperate need of something dramatic given Red Bull's sheer dominance over the rest of the field for the past few years.
Hamilton has been largely praised for taking the leap and joining Ferrari for one last challenge as he bids for a record-breaking eighth world championship.
However, 1980 world champion Jones isn't as excited about the move as many others and he believes Hamilton won't be a success at Ferrari.
“I don’t know whether [Hamilton] going to Ferrari is going to be the end all and be all of what Ferrari needs,” Jones told the Herald Sun.
“Okay, it was good because when he signed for Ferrari their share price just went up by about $20 billion or something.
“But at the end of the day, Lewis has really got to start to pull his finger out a little bit quite frankly.
“George Russell is now starting to give him a bit of a hiding now most times and the more that goes on, the more that will play on him.
“Once again the more fashion shows that he goes to and the more that he sprouts around the place, that is not going to help him either.
“I really don’t think it was [the right move for Ferrari] to be honest.
Lewis Hamilton has struggled with the W15 this season
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“In terms of increasing their share price, yes. But I just don’t think he is going to be the [answer].”
Hamilton looks set for a disappointing final season with Mercedes as they've failed to close the gap to Red Bull in the off-season.
Max Verstappen has eased to victory in the opening two races of the season with Sergio Perez also far ahead.
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Lewis Hamilton has spent his F1 career racing in a Mercedes engine
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Hamilton has finished behind team-mate George Russell in both races so far with Mercedes desperate for a better performance in Australia this weekend.
But Toto Wolff is confident that the team can work out the kinks in their car in time for the Melbourne race.
“We are going to come back to Melbourne strong. We are on a mission on this one. And I am 100 per cent sure that we are going to unlock that performance gap.”