Lewis Hamilton‘s shot at an eighth Formula 1 championship is still very much alive, according to racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart – and his upcoming move to Ferrari might just be the key.
“He’s more experienced than he was last year and the years before that,” Stewart told Sky Sports. “He knows the business very well.”
The three-time world champion’s take on Hamilton’s chances comes at an interesting time, with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris currently dominating F1 headlines.
But it’s Hamilton’s surprise switch to Ferrari that’s got everyone talking.
“Ferrari is the biggest name in the world,” Stewart explained. “If you went to a Masai warrior in the middle of Africa and said, ‘Do you know anything about Ferrari?’ They would know the name Ferrari.”
It’s a move that caught even Stewart off guard. “I was surprised he was going there,” he admitted. The racing icon actually faced a similar choice during his own career, but went a different direction. “I nearly went to Ferrari, and I chose not to do it – in that time, the old man was a tough cookie.”
Stewart knows what it takes to win championships. He grabbed three world titles himself in 1969, 1971, and 1973, and like Hamilton, he’s been honored by the British crown – Stewart with an OBE, Hamilton with an MBE.
“Going to Ferrari is very colourful, very exciting and usually very successful,” Stewart said. “I wouldn’t count them out, to put it that way.”
For Hamilton, who’s been stuck on seven championships since 2020, the Ferrari move might be exactly what he needs to make history.
