David Coulthard has warned Ferrari of an ‘out of sorts’ Lewis Hamilton ahead of his next Formula 1 chapter.
Hamilton is weeks away from making his Scuderia debut following his blockbuster switch from their racing rivals Mercedes.
The Brit has a record-equalling seven world titles to his name and is regarded as one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history.
However, his arrival at Ferrari has come after a disappointing 2024 season in which he finished seventh in the overall drivers’ standings.
Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate George Russell also beat him in qualifying in 19 of the 24 races throughout the calendar last year.
Speaking on Channel 4 in December, former Red Bull star Coulthard explained how this could be ‘pretty worrying’ for Ferrari.
“Lewis is a winning machine, he’s broken all the records,” he said.
“But this isn’t a personality contest, it’s not an opinion contest, it’s a data-driven contest.
“And to be out-qualified consistently by George [Russell]… The greats don’t have bad cars. He’s got out of sorts with this current phase of his age and formula.
“And whether Ferrari are the kickstart to bring him back or not remains to be seen, but I’d say that’s pretty worrying.
“Doesn’t detract from his brilliance, doesn’t take away anything from the records.
“But there is a thing called Mother Nature, and the clock is ticking.”
Hamilton’s first official competitive outing in Ferrari colours comes at the Australian Grand Prix in March.
However, he has already been spotted behind the wheel for the iconic Scuderia ahead of the 2025 season opener during a test drive.
The 40-year-old took to the track at the Fiorano circuit at their home in Maranello despite the cold and damp conditions.
“Wow. Whew. It’s a… Wow. That was amazing,” Hamilton said during a radio check with his new race engineer Ricciardo Adami.
He has also been pictured with teammate Charles Leclerc in their new racing suits, with Ferrari launching their 2025 car on February 19.
