Five moves by Ferrari that paid off and five that didn't

Lewis Hamilton will make his debut with Scuderia Ferrari this F1 season after leaving Mercedes for the Italian team in one of the most sensational and unexpected moves in the sport’s history.

Both parties have achieved great success in the sport: on one side, the most iconic and successful team in the nearly 75-year history of the category; on the other, the 7-time world champion, the driver with the most wins, podiums, pole positions, and points in the competition’s history.

Ahead of the Briton’s debut, here are 5 moves in Scuderia Ferrari’s history that justified the trust placed in them and 5 that didn’t turn out as expected.

The 5 Successful Moves by Ferrari

Schumacher and Raikkonen
The first is, of course, Michael Schumacher. The most notable example on the list was Schumacher’s decision to join the Maranello team for the 1996 season.

At the time, it was seen as a bold choice, given that the German had won two consecutive titles (1994 and 1995) with Benetton, while Ferrari struggled to keep up.

Their early seasons together were challenging, including Michael Schumacher’s disqualification from the 1997 championship and a leg injury that took him out of the title fight in 1999. But it all came together in 2000 when Schumacher delivered the team’s first drivers’ title since 1979. From there, it was smooth sailing as the duo secured both championships until 2004.

The second is Kimi Raikkonen, who was signed when Schumacher decided to retire at the end of 2006. The Finn had endured a winless year (2006), but everything changed in his first race with the red car. In a hard-fought 2007 campaign, he battled Felipe Massa and the McLaren duo of Alonso-Hamilton for the title, eventually winning by a single point thanks to a mistake by Lewis Hamilton in the penultimate race of the year.

Lauda and Scheckter
Further back in time, there is Niki Lauda. Despite his struggles, the Austrian did enough to capture Enzo Ferrari’s interest and joined the team in 1973. Lauda quickly repaid the team’s trust by winning in his fourth race, securing another victory at Zandvoort, and taking off from there, winning both championships in 1975.

The following year, he suffered a horrific accident at the Nürburgring, yet incredibly returned six weeks later and finished the season second. He ultimately won the 1977 championship with two races to spare before leaving Ferrari.

Jody Scheckter is the penultimate name on the list. His early F1 years were tumultuous, with the South African under scrutiny for causing accidents, including a severe crash at the 1973 British GP. This incident led his team – McLaren – to sideline him for 4 races.

Over the next three years with Tyrell, the issues subsided, and Scheckter became a GP winner. After two more years, he signed with Ferrari in 1979.

In his first season with the Maranello team, the South African built a solid relationship with teammate Gilles Villeneuve, with both scoring three wins each. Scheckter, however, scored four additional points, becoming the drivers’ champion and securing Ferrari the constructors’ title.

José Froilan Gonzalez
José Froilan Gonzalez’s name may not be as well-known as other past icons, but he was pivotal to Ferrari’s history. Gonzalez first drove for the Scuderia at the 1951 French GP, finishing second alongside Alberto Ascari. At the next event, the British GP, Gonzalez did even better, securing Ferrari’s first-ever F1 victory.

Gonzalez returned to Ferrari in 1954, claiming another win at Silverstone and triumphing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the Italian team. He retired in 1960.

The 5 Moves by Ferrari That Didn’t Pay Off

Mansell, Prost, and Vettel
During a four-year stint at Williams between 1985 and 1988, Nigel Mansell finished runner-up twice in the drivers’ title fight. But when the car became less competitive in 1988, the Briton seized the opportunity to move to Ferrari for 1989.

A debut victory with the Scuderia got things off to a great start, and Mansell became a fan favorite. However, after another win in Hungary, things became more complicated in 1990.

A tough season and a difficult relationship with new teammate Alain Prost led Mansell to announce his retirement from the sport at Silverstone.

Alain Prost joined Ferrari in 1990 after a controversial collision with McLaren teammate Ayrton Senna at Suzuka in 1989. Prost won the title that year, but in 1990, it was Senna’s turn, colliding with his Ferrari rival.

In 1991, Ferrari’s pace dropped significantly, marking the first season in which the Frenchman failed to win a race. Prost publicly criticized the team during his struggles, leading Ferrari to promptly fire him with one race remaining in the season.

Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a historic run with Red Bull, winning 4 consecutive titles from 2010 to 2013. He joined Ferrari in 2015 and won in his second race for the Italian team in Malaysia. However, Mercedes dominated as the season progressed.

In 2017 and 2018, Ferrari came close to winning but was ultimately outdone by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. After new teammate Charles Leclerc outperformed him in 2019, Ferrari announced before the 2020 season began that Vettel would be replaced by Carlos Sainz in 2021.

Alonso and Fisichella
Fernando Alonso – a 2-time world champion with Renault (2005-06) – made an immediate impression at Ferrari, winning on his debut at the 2010 Bahrain GP.

Four more wins followed that season, and the Spaniard’s second-place finish in the championship raised expectations. In 2011, Ferrari took a step back, but in 2012 Alonso came close to a third title, losing to Vettel by three points.

The same situation repeated in 2013, and the team’s performance fell sharply in 2014 due to new engine regulations. Alonso left Ferrari to rejoin McLaren in 2015.

Finally, Giancarlo Fisichella was called up by Ferrari following Felipe Massa’s accident in Hungary in 2009. While Massa recovered to return in 2010, Ferrari initially brought in Luca Badoer as a replacement, but after some issues, the Italian was recruited from Force India.

Giancarlo Fisichella became one of the few to race for his country’s most famous team. However, the change didn’t yield results. His best finish was ninth in his Monza debut.

That was the last season for the Italian, who stayed on as the Maranello team’s reserve driver in 2010.