Ferrari should listen carefully to Lewis Hamilton whenever the seven-time Formula 1 world champion puts forward proposals or requests, according to former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese, who believes Hamilton’s vast winning experience can help the Maranello team improve.
Ferrari needs to give greater meaning to the closing stages of the 2026 season while rebuilding confidence ahead of its 2027 Formula 1 project, when an important step forward is expected from the power unit. In Riccardo Patrese’s view, Lewis Hamilton’s years of success with Mercedes make his feedback particularly valuable as Ferrari works to return to championship contention.
Riccardo Patrese says Ferrari must listen to Lewis Hamilton
Riccardo Patrese believes Ferrari should take Lewis Hamilton’s proposals seriously whenever the British driver raises ideas or requests with the team’s senior management. The former Formula 1 driver sees the seven-time world champion’s experience at Mercedes as an asset Ferrari should make full use of.
“For Ferrari, it is positive to have Hamilton, because he has gained a huge amount of experience after so many years of success with Mercedes and so many victories,” Riccardo Patrese told talkSPORT BET. “It is positive that Hamilton can put his experience at the team’s disposal to improve the situation. Obviously, Ferrari is not in an ideal situation, which explains why it has not won a championship for almost 20 years. For Ferrari, it is positive to have someone like Hamilton who can give the right advice.”
Hamilton’s winning experience can help Ferrari close the gap
Riccardo Patrese also questioned how much weight should be given to some of the speculation surrounding Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, arguing that reports can sometimes make situations appear more dramatic than they really are.
“I wonder whether some of these stories are just newspaper talk,” Riccardo Patrese added. “It is difficult to understand how much truth there is in them, because journalists like to make things a little spicier. Everyone, especially in Italy but also around the rest of the world, would like to see Ferrari winning.”
Despite recognising signs of progress, Riccardo Patrese believes Ferrari still lacks the outright performance needed to challenge Mercedes consistently for the championship.
“I think they have taken a step forward, but they still do not have the pace needed to fight for the championship with Mercedes and with Kimi, who is an exceptional opponent at the moment. They have to work on that, and if Lewis sends a document to senior management, then that is a good thing for Ferrari because he will have good ideas about how to improve things. It would be worse if he had nothing to say.”
For Riccardo Patrese, the important point is therefore not simply that Lewis Hamilton has opinions about Ferrari’s direction, but that his experience of operating inside a championship-winning organisation can give the team another perspective as it attempts to move closer to its main competitors. Ferrari’s season-long performance against Mercedes and the rest of the grid can also be explored through the Ferrari vs F1 Rivals statistics.
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