Eddie Irvine has shared important insights about his former team and British driver Lewis Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari.
Eddie Irvine, who raced for Ferrari between 1996 and 1999, has expressed cautious yet noticeable optimism about the Maranello-based team, despite the well-known and long-standing difficulties the Italian outfit has faced in recent years within the Formula 1 World Championship.
The “geographical” disadvantage
The former Northern Irish driver, known for his straightforward approach and extensive experience both on track and as a keen observer of the paddock, explained to the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport the main obstacle Ferrari constantly faces: “For Ferrari, it is always very complicated. The main problem is the distance from the universe of Formula 1, which for decades has had its beating heart and its central hub in the United Kingdom.”
Irvine emphasized how this geographical distance—and consequently cultural and operational separation—represents a significant structural challenge for Ferrari. While the vast majority of teams, suppliers, top engineers, and specialized motorsport companies are based in the so-called British “Motorsport Valley,” Ferrari operates from Maranello, in a different environment, with all the logistical, recruitment, and collaboration complexities that this separation entails.
Despite this historically unfavorable situation, the former driver introduced a note of moderate optimism when looking ahead to the immediate future.
Compared to last year, Eddie Irvine firmly believes Ferrari can achieve at least one concrete success during the 2026 championship. He did not paint a picture of total dominance or a season in which the Scuderia would consistently fight for the world title, but he indicated that the Maranello team should be capable of securing at least one victory over the course of the season.
This represents a realistic and tangible objective—one that would still mark progress compared to recent seasons, where Ferrari’s wins have often been sporadic and hard-fought.
Eddie Irvine’s view on Hamilton at Ferrari
Regarding the much-discussed move of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari, Eddie Irvine urged both fans and insiders to adopt a cautious approach before passing judgment on the British driver’s experience in red.
With his usual direct style, Irvine stated: “I wouldn’t take it for granted.” He then continued by analyzing Hamilton’s early performances in the 2026 season with Ferrari. In China, Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium with the team—a positive and noteworthy result. However, as Irvine pointed out, the Shanghai circuit has historically been one of the Briton’s strongest tracks, where he has consistently felt comfortable and achieved excellent results throughout his career.
A very different picture emerged during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend at Suzuka, where Lewis Hamilton was comprehensively outperformed by his teammate Charles Leclerc throughout the event. Irvine highlighted how the British driver’s performances have appeared rather inconsistent in the opening rounds of the season: encouraging moments have alternated with more subdued displays, especially when compared to the Monegasque driver, who has demonstrated superior pace and greater confidence with the car in this early phase of the championship.
The performances observed so far are still too variable and not sufficiently convincing to conclude that the Hamilton–Ferrari partnership has overcome the significant challenges experienced in 2025. The clear advantage shown by Charles Leclerc during the Japanese weekend represents, in Eddie Irvine’s view, an important signal that calls for a more cautious and realistic interpretation of the internal dynamics within the team.
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