Did Ferrari make the right choice with Lewis Hamilton? A rival has no doubts. Zak Brown commented on Ferrari’s decision to go for Lewis Hamilton.

Zak Brown commented on Ferrari’s decision to go for Lewis Hamilton and not renew Carlos Sainz’s contract.

At the time of the announcement, almost no one dared to criticize Ferrari’s decision to focus on Lewis Hamilton and not renew Carlos Sainz’s contract. Most insiders saw the seven-time world champion as the final piece needed by the team led by Fred Vasseur to return to winning that title narrowly missed at the end of 2024.
The track, however, later revealed a different reality, also due to an SF-25 that has not yet been fully understood either by the Maranello technicians or the drivers themselves. Only in recent weeks, thanks to the famous “direction” taken by Charles Leclerc, have we started to see the first glimpses of light in a season start full of shadows.

In Jeddah, for example, the Monegasque with number 16 delivered a top-level race. In addition to the overtake on Russell and excellent tire management, Leclerc also managed to keep Lando Norris behind. Something we hadn’t really seen in these first five races.
This difference in performance between the two Ferrari drivers, separated by only sixteen points in the standings, has led to various reflections from outsiders. According to some, Vasseur would have done better to renew Sainz’s contract rather than focus on a Hamilton who seems far from his world title form.
But did Vasseur really make a mistake?
Zak Brown spoke on the matter during the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony held in recent days. “It’s never easy. There are many dynamics that need to be considered and that come into play in these kinds of situations. Certainly, Lewis is a seven-time world champion and it’s not common to have a driver like that on your team. At the same time, Carlos worked with us for a long time and was always exceptional. Besides being a great driver, he’s also a friend. Luckily, I wasn’t the one who had to make that decision,” said the McLaren CEO to Marca.

A choice that was far from simple and can only be judged over time. Ferrari, even last year, showed it could make progress during the season. And fans hope this can happen again in this 2025 full of uncertainties.