Lewis Hamilton Suspicion raised by Damon Hill as eye opening assessment made

Damon Hill has Lewis Hamilton suspicion ahead of F1 champion’s Mercedes exit

Lewis Hamilton announced before the 2024 season even began that he will leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the year, though the Silver Arrows have since rediscovered their form

Damon Hill believes Lewis Hamilton may have “underestimated” Mercedes by making his early decision to quit the team.

But the 1996 Formula 1 title-winner also believes the sport will benefit from the seven-time champion’s move to Ferrari. Hamilton will start this latest chapter of his F1 career at the age of 40, representing the series’ most iconic brand.

At the time, it was easy to understand why he had chosen to try something new. Over the previous two seasons, Mercedes had failed to mount any sort of a title challenge and Hamilton had not won a single race during that period.

It was not the first time Ferrari had tried to lure him to Italy, but finally it was the right time for Hamilton to join his old GP2 boss Frederic Vasseur’s project. And after Ferrari wins in Australia and Monaco, the future was looking bright for him.

But Ferrari have lost their way somewhat in recent weeks, while Mercedes have finally hit their stride. Hamilton now has two wins of his own to show for his efforts so far this season and the Silver Arrows look to be the ones closer to the likes of Red Bull and McLaren in terms of performance.

For some, it is evidence that Hamilton may have been premature in his decision to walk away from Mercedes. And, speaking to Top Gear, Hill thinks his fellow Briton could have judged the team’s lack of progress too early.

He said: “He’s had such an incredible time with Mercedes, and at the time he made the decision [to leave], I think he’d quite understandably thought that Mercedes had reached the buffers. But maybe he underestimated them, because they are making a comeback and they could well be competitive.