Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is the “motivation” he needs at this stage in his Formula 1 career.
A long-standing and successful partnership came to an end last year, with Hamilton leaving Mercedes after 12 seasons and winning six World Championships.
Hamilton begins his new journey in F1 as a Ferrari driver and will look to put the disappointments of 2024 behind him.
Horner recently gave his verdict on the seven-time World Champion’s move to the Italian marque.
Horner admitted it was “great for him, and for Formula 1, to see Lewis driving a Ferrari” but argued how he felt the career change was sparked by a damaged relationship between Hamilton and the Silver Arrows.
“He obviously felt, and it looked from the outside looking in, that the relationship between them [Hamilton and Mercedes] had perhaps become a bit stale, so he felt that he needed to make a move,” Horner told RacingNews365.
“It might just be the impetus and motivation that he needs to fire himself up again.”
The 51-year-old went on to stress just how important it will be for Hamilton’s success with Ferrari for him to make a “good start”.
“Ferrari had a competitive car, certainly towards the second half of the year,” he added.
“One can imagine if Lewis gets off to a good start, him being a real factor.
“It’ll be a completely new environment for him, quite different to what he’s used to.”
Hamilton urged to make ‘good start’ at Ferrari
Hamilton will compete in his 19th season in the sport when he makes his Ferrari debut at the Australian Grand Prix, the first round on the 2025 F1 calendar.
Hamilton was victorious twice last season – standing on the top step of the podium for the first time since 2021 with his record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix career victory.
But his fellow British compatriot, George Russell, outshone his vastly experienced team-mate by beating him 19 times in 24 races in qualifying.
The lowest point came after a disappointing Sprint Qualifying in Qatar where Hamilton conceded that he was no longer “fast anymore”.
However, the Briton will need to put all that behind him as Horner explained how he needs to “settle” in fast with his new team.
“If he manages to immerse himself in that, settle quickly and get off to a good start, then you always build momentum from there,” he said.
“Of course, he’s going into a team where he’s got a very strong team-mate in Charles Leclerc, who is very quick and knows the team inside out.
“So that’s why it’s vital for him to get out the blocks well at the start of the year.”
Hamilton’s age ‘irrelevant’ to his performances
Only nine drivers in the history of F1 have won a race after turning 40 as Hamilton joins Fernando Alonso as the second driver on the grid in his forties.
A few F1 pundits have questioned whether he can still deliver at his age with Martin Brundle suggesting he will be past his “absolute peak”.
But Horner has argued it’s about how he performs on the track as it doesn’t matter “how old you are”.
“I don’t think age needs to be a barrier,” insisted Horner.
“If you look at Fernando Alonso [43], he’s got a fair few years left in him.
“You’re judged on how you perform, not on how old you are.
“Irrelevant of age, it’s about how you deliver on track.
“At the end of the day, age is just a number, and he’ll be judged on what he does, not on being a child of the 1980s.”
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