Arturo Merzario has poured a bucket of cold water on the romance of Lewis Hamilton in red, calling the Ferrari signing a “commercial operation” that most of Maranello never wanted.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Ferrari driver claimed “90 per cent” of the workforce didn’t approve of the seven-time champion’s arrival. And with Hamilton still searching for a first Ferrari podium and sitting sixth in the 2025 standings, Merzario believes the disconnect shows.
“In my opinion, Hamilton’s arrival in Maranello was a commercial operation,” he said. “As far as I know, 90 per cent of the employees at Ferrari did not approve of this decision. And then, when a driver does not feel valued or an integral part of the group to achieve a goal, he loses motivation.”
Hamilton’s move was the blockbuster of last winter — a multi-year deal announced in January to bring him from Mercedes to Ferrari for 2025 and beyond, widely reported to include options through 2027. The dream, though, hasn’t matched the brochure. The SF-25 has been a mood piece: Charles Leclerc has snagged the peaks, even taking pole in Hungary, while Hamilton’s side of the garage has lived in the troughs. After qualifying only 12th in Budapest, Hamilton branded himself “useless, absolutely useless,” and told Sky F1, “Ferrari probably need to change driver.”
Merzario, 82, read that as partly gallows humor, partly a champion’s refusal to accept mediocrity. “That statement was a bit ironic to me. But, of course, this position is not acceptable for a seven-time World Champion. It seems to me that Lewis feels like someone who has been destroyed by Ferrari.”
Still, he’s not writing off the partnership. Far from it. Merzario argues the issue is motivation, not mileage. “It’s not over. He is just waiting for the right opportunity. He will only risk when necessary, not for an eighth position. Also because, if he ever wanted to leave, he would find another team. Hamilton has already shown what he is worth.”
He was less generous with Hamilton’s team-mate. “It’s not Charles Leclerc’s situation. Charles still has to prove that he is a champion.”
The headline criticism, though, is aimed squarely at Ferrari’s decision-making. If a marquee signing lands with a skeptical factory, you get what we’re seeing: flashes of speed, little cohesion. Or as Merzario put it, why chase three-tenths “while still remaining on the third row?”
Ferrari and Hamilton have time — the contract, the car’s development path, and the simple fact that Hamilton’s racecraft hasn’t evaporated. But for the fairytale to look like anything other than an ad campaign, Maranello has to make its star feel central, not commercial. Only then will the red overalls fit like they’re supposed to.
