08/05/2025 15:40
Guenther Steiner has defended Lewis Hamilton and insisted the
Briton is not "regretting" joining Ferrari, although is "not happy"
by the team's current situation. Hamilton stunned the Formula 1
paddock at the start of 2024 by announcing that he would leave
Mercedes for Ferrari, following one final campaign for the Silver
Arrows. His switch to Maranello is one of the biggest driver
changes in the history of the sport, creating significant
expectations on the seven-time world champion. However, it has not
been the start to his Ferrari career which everyone expected, with
the Briton sitting seventh in the F1 drivers' title. He has
struggled for outright pace and has been slower than Charles
Leclerc, although did claim sprint pole in China which he converted
into a sprint win. Interestingly, one team who have improved this
season is Mercedes, leading to speculation that the 40-year-old
regrets leaving. Steiner does not believe this is the case,
although does think Hamilton is disappointed at Ferrari's current
poor performances. "He knew what he was doing," Steiner told the
Red Flags podcast, in discussion over whether Hamilton is
regretting his move. "For him, it was like more a mission in life,
to end his career as a driver at Ferrari. It's a dream of a lot of
guys, obviously, maybe he hoped to be better off, but I think he's
got time. "He's got time to still make it up, but I don't think
he's regretting it. Obviously, he finds it hard. He's not happy
where is at the moment, and he finds it hard the position he is in.
"Yeah, it could be a little bit better at Mercedes now, but
Mercedes hasn't won a sprint race yet. So, he was at Mercedes, he
wasn't at McLaren, let's say."
