When Konstantinos Dalglish (’26) heard that Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton would be moving from Mercedes to Ferrari, his reaction was immediate: “I couldn’t believe what I was reading.” Ferrari announced that Hamilton, a six-time world champion, would be racing for them in the 2025 season Feb. 1.
Hamilton’s move sparked outrage among many Formula One fans, however, Celia Carson (’25) said she believes the move was a wise decision based on his performance on his current team.
“Hamilton moving is great,” Carson said. “I think it’s a good move because he’s a really good driver, and I feel like he hasn’t really been served justice at Mercedes.”
Swim coach Apostolos Mitrakos said he hopes Hamilton’s move will bring Ferrari more luck in the 2025 season.
“I’m really excited about the move,” Mitrakos said. “I have been a fan of Ferrari for a long time. The last 30, 40 years we have done so badly, we’ve seen so many directors, and I think Hamilton can help us to get better and help also in improving the car to the new regulations in 2026.”
While Matteo Salloum (’24) agrees with Carson, he said the shift reflected a stagnation in Mercedes’ manufacturing.
“Lewis’s move means that Lewis was not confident in Mercedes’ ability to continue producing high-level cars, similar to the cars he had throughout the 2010s,” Salloum said.
In the manufacturing process, Ferrari chose to make their car more balanced on both axles, while Mercedes adopted a medium downforce rear wing to reduce drag as much as possible, according to Motorsport. These marginal differences in development are ultimately what decides races in Formula 1.
Dalglish said he disagrees with Hamilton’s choice to leave Mercedes.
“Nobody would expect him to go to move Ferrari of all teams because they’re not exactly known for their high-quality work,” Dalglish said.
Hamilton’s move will leave Mercedes with an open seat for 2025, leaving his teammate George Russell as Mercedes’ only driver. On the Ferrari team, Carlos Sainz will lose his seat to Hamilton.
Formula One fan Luca Filippa (’26) said the move was unfair to Sainz.
“It’s unfortunate,” Filippa said. “I liked him a lot as a driver and he was the only one who really had a chance against Red Bull. I hope he goes somewhere else where he can find success, maybe Mercedes.”
In the 2023 season, fans saw Red Bull racer Max Verstappen win the majority of the races and thus, many are eager to see another driver compete with Verstappen Looking ahead, Salloum said Hamilton’s move will have a minimal impact on racing dynamics for the 2024 Formula One season.
“I think we might see a Ferrari Challenge on the Red Bulls just because Lewis will be in a new car,” Salloum said.
With the 2025 season coming up, Mitrakos said he hopes Hamilton’s switch will take Verstappen’s winning streak down.
“I hope the move will bring more competition,” Mitrakos said. “I think they always try to bring some competitive balance in the champion’s seat because it’s boring to see one or two drivers dominating on one team and then everyone else fighting for the rest.”
