Lewis Hamilton‘s move to Ferrari could be exactly what both sides need to return to championship glory, according to former F1 champion Nigel Mansell.
“Ferrari are so long overdue to win both championships,” Mansell told Mail Sport. “With Charles Leclerc and Lewis, I really hope that they get it done.”
The Italian team hasn’t won a drivers’ championship since 2007 – a drought that’s getting painful for F1’s most iconic team.
Mansell knows a thing or two about racing for Ferrari. He joined the team in 1989 and picked up three wins in the famous red car, though his own world championship wouldn’t come until 1992 with Williams.
Now he’s hoping Hamilton can do what he couldn’t – win a title with Ferrari.
It would be quite a story. Hamilton, already a seven-time world champion, trying to grab that record-breaking eighth title with Ferrari in the twilight of his career.
“It’d be magical for Lewis to win another world championship,” Mansell said. “I wish him all the best.”
The first test comes in less than a month at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
“It would be a dream come true for Lewis to win the first race with Ferrari,” Mansell explained. “That then sets the pattern for the rest of the season.”
It’s happened before. Kimi Raikkonen won his very first race for Ferrari at Melbourne in 2007 – coincidentally, the same race where Hamilton made his F1 debut. Fernando Alonso also won his Ferrari debut in Bahrain 2010.
Sebastian Vettel needed two races before claiming his first Ferrari win at Malaysia 2015.
Could Hamilton join that elite group of drivers who won right out of the gate for Ferrari? We’ll find out when the lights go out in Melbourne.
