F1 Pundit hits back at ‘stupid’ criticism over Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari start

Davide Valsecchi reckoned that Lewis Hamilton wasn’t deserving of all the hate hurled at him for his dismal start to the 2025 season.

Lewis Hamilton (via Ferrari)

Lewis Hamilton‘s performance at Ferrari has remained decent since the beginning of the 2025 season. The Briton put forth mediocre results at the season opener in Australia after finishing in only P10. Hamilton performed well in the Chinese weekend after achieving the sprint race win. However, the 40-year-old was disqualified from the main race due to illegal plank wear. Still, F1 pundit Davide Valsecchi hit back at the people ill-talking about the seven-time champion’s switch to Ferrari.

Many people berated Lewis Hamilton‘s switch to Ferrari, considering him to be out of his prime. Still, the 40-year-old remains highly motivated to score well and ultimately the championship with the Italian constructor. Moreover, Hamilton has put forth promising results in his multiple outings with the Scuderia. Davide Valsecchi sided with the seven-time champion and rejected the idea of Ferrari making a mistake acquiring the latter.

Davide Valsecchi claimed that it would be ‘stupid’ to write of Hamilton’s chances with Ferrari so early on in the season. The Italian recalled that the 40-year-old was ‘flying’ during the testing sessions and showed up like a star in his appearances. Without the Briton, Ferrari wouldn’t have the great image returned back to their team amidst their dying pace. He added that the Italian constructor had already won the ‘financial’ side after Hamilton’s entry.

It would be stupid to say that. In testing he was flying and then he showed up like a star. Without him you wouldn’t have had all this return on image. At Maranello, they have already won [financially].

Davide Valsecchi told Corriere della Sera

Valsecchi further iterates that Hamilton remains fast in wet conditions. Moreover, the 40-year-old barely wrecks his car on the track which adds to the list of his positives. The Italian didn’t hesitate to recall that Lewis Hamilton has suffered from a low performance in the past three years with Mercedes. Still, he raised surety over the seven-time champion achieving a great improvement this year.

He’s fast in the wet, he doesn’t wreck as many cars, he’s reliable – but for three years he’s had a low performance.

Davide Valsecchi added

Davide Valsecchi claims Ferrari won’t have ‘No. 1 driver’ with Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is a strong driver with a rich history in Formula 1. Yet, the 40-year-old now seems to lack in terms of performance against the younger drivers like Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Davide Valsecchi took a hit at Hamilton for his apparent declining performances against the younger generation.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc (via Ferrari)
Valsecchi pointed out that with Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari did not get a ‘No. 1 driver’. This meant that the Italian did not consider the 40-year-old as the current best driver in the pinnacle of motorsport. On the contrary, he points out that Max Verstappen is the one that would be the ‘No. 1 driver’. The 38-year-old didn’t hesitate to claim that the Italian constructor did not strike gold after acquiring Hamilton in their lineup.

Of course, with Verstappen you would have had number one on the track. With Lewis you don’t.

Davide Velsecchi added

Valsecchi furthered his backhanded compliments towards Hamilton and compared him to his Monegasque counterpart Charles Leclerc. The Italian reckoned that the 40-year-old wasn’t the same in performance as he was when he was just 25 years old. The 38-year-old revealed that even if the Briton was over two-tenths slower on the grid, he wouldn’t surpass Leclerc in terms of pace. This meant that the seven-time champion had to accept the fact that he was slower than the current younger generation of drivers.

At 40 you can’t be like you were at 25. If you’ve lost even two tenths of a ceiling, you’re not ahead of Charles.

Davide Valsecchi added

Lewis Hamilton has continued to face mixed opinions on his move to Ferrari. The 40-year-old has two whole years to prove his worth to the naysayers. The Briton still possesses great speed and is hopeful of returning back to his championship performance soon enough. Only time will tell about how the Briton fares against Leclerc in the two years of his contract.