Binotto Criticizes Ferrari’s Decision to Sign Hamilton at Career End

Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, now Sauber’s CTO, has shared his perspective on Lewis Hamilton’s challenging start to the 2025 Formula 1 season, as reported by Automoto.it.

Despite Ferrari holding second place in the constructors’ championship behind McLaren, the team’s on-track performance hasn’t met expectations. Hamilton — who joined from Mercedes this season — continues to struggle adapting to the Italian machinery.

“It’s clear that the performance on the track and the results are not good at the moment. However, I know every single member of that team very well and I know they are good, strong and capable. They will be able to improve the car and do well in the future,” stated Binotto.

Currently, Hamilton sits sixth in the drivers’ standings — trailing his teammate Charles Leclerc in fifth by 23 points. Despite claiming victory in the Chinese sprint race, the seven-time world champion has yet to show consistent performance.

Binotto criticized Ferrari’s timing in signing Hamilton — “Ferrari took him when he was already at the end of his career. The ideal would have been to have him a few years earlier.”