Davide Valsecchi: “Stupid” to call Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton move a mistake. Davide Valsecchi dismisses claims that Ferrari signing Lewis Hamilton was a mistake.

Davide Valsecchi has dismissed the notion that Ferrari’s decision to sign Lewis Hamilton was a mistake, despite the seven-time World Champion’s struggles in recent years. The former GP2 champion argued that while Hamilton’s performances have been below his past standards, his presence at Ferrari has already delivered significant commercial success.

The British driver’s transition to the Italian side has been anything but smooth, with the seven-time F1 world champion enduring a difficult start to the 2025 season. His debut race at the Albert Park circuit in Australia ended in disappointment with a 10th-place finish, failing to meet the high expectations surrounding his high-profile switch from Mercedes over the winter.

Although Lewis Hamilton showcased his skill by converting pole position into victory during the sprint race in China, it marked only his third win of any kind since the start of the 2022 season. However, his performance in the main race in Shanghai was far less impressive, as he struggled to match the pace of his competitors. Adding to his woes, both he and team-mate Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the final results for separate infractions.

Hamilton’s exclusion due to excessive skid-block wear marked the second time in 18 months he faced such a penalty, the first being during the 2023 United States Grand Prix in his penultimate season with Mercedes. Despite these on-track challenges, his move to Ferrari has already proven to be a commercial triumph. Puma, Ferrari’s kit supplier, reported an eightfold surge in sales since Hamilton’s arrival at Maranello, demonstrating his immense marketability.

Valsecchi, who won the GP2 title in 2012 before becoming a respected television pundit in Italy, expressed doubts about Hamilton’s ability to maintain the level of performance that once defined his career. He suggested that Hamilton no longer carries the same guarantee of success as reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen. Over the last three years, the British driver has struggled to assert dominance, making it increasingly difficult for him to outperform Leclerc, even if his performance deficit is only marginal.

When asked whether Ferrari had erred in signing Hamilton, Davide Valsecchi dismissed the idea, reportedly telling Corriere della Sera that it would be an unreasonable conclusion. He noted that Hamilton had shown impressive pace during pre-season testing and brought a star-like presence to the team. From a commercial perspective, Ferrari had already gained substantially from his signing. However, The former GP2 champion also pointed out that while Verstappen would have been a clear number-one driver on the track, Hamilton no longer holds that status. He described Hamilton as a reliable driver with strong wet-weather abilities and a relatively low crash rate but insisted that his overall performance level had declined over the past three years. Davide Valsecchi further remarked that at 40 years old, no driver could maintain the same speed they had at 25, emphasizing that even a small drop in performance would place Hamilton behind his Maranello teammate..

Ferrari remains in pursuit of its first World Championship since 2008, the same year Lewis Hamilton won his maiden title with McLaren. The British driver has openly expressed his determination to claim a record-breaking eighth title with Ferrari, a goal that has eluded him since the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he was denied the championship under contentious circumstances.

Davide Valsecchi, an avid Inter Milan fan, was also asked whether he would prefer to see his beloved football club win the UEFA Champions League or Ferrari reclaim F1 supremacy. He reportedly responded that he would favor a Ferrari triumph, but only if Leclerc was the driver to secure the title.

His remarks came amid broader discussions surrounding Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, with television presenter and motorsport enthusiast Jeremy Clarkson recently speculating on the motivations behind the switch. Clarkson theorized that Hamilton, aware that his peak years were behind him, may have chosen Ferrari to experience racing for the most iconic team in motorsport before retiring. He questioned whether Hamilton was still primarily a racing driver or if his persona had evolved into that of a global superstar. Furthermore, Jeremy Clarkson highlighted the challenge Hamilton would face against Leclerc, who is deeply integrated into the team, fluent in Italian, and widely regarded as one of the fastest drivers over a single lap.

Jeremy Clarkson suggested that Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari might have been driven by a desire to cement his legacy by racing for the sport’s most prestigious team before stepping away from Formula 1. Regardless of the reasoning behind the move, Clarkson ultimately expressed his best wishes for Hamilton’s tenure at Ferrari.