Ex-F1 driver Karun Chandhok believes Lewis Hamilton’s determination to depart Mercedes for Ferrari is a “calculated threat”, however one which has “labored out” earlier than.
Hamilton formally joined Ferrari on January 1, 2025.
Hamilton had spent 12 years at Mercedes, profitable six of his seven titles with them.
The seven-time world champion will now doubtless end his F1 profession with the Scuderia.
It’s the second time in his F1 profession that Hamilton has made a bombshell transfer.
On the finish of 2012, Hamilton left McLaren, which had been title contenders on the time, for Mercedes, which had been successfully a midfield crew.
Assessing his determination to depart Mercedes following a turbulent closing season with the crew, Chandhok instructed the Sky F1 podcast: “I feel it was a punt as a result of how might you inform what the opposition was doing? He would clearly have a sense what was happening at Mercedes.
“He’s talked about folks not essentially listening to what he’s saying and never absolutely taking onboard a few of his ideas of the place the automobiles ought to go.
“On reflection, earlier within the yr, he was speaking about a few of these conversations. Perhaps that steered him into some other place the place they could hear a bit extra.”
“It’s labored out as soon as”
Hamilton’s final F1 crew transfer labored out higher than anybody might have imagined.
Instantly, Mercedes overtook McLaren in efficiency phrases.
Since Hamilton’s departure, McLaren have solely returned to the highest of F1 this yr, ending forward of Mercedes within the constructors’ championship.
Chandhok sees some parallels to Hamilton’s determination to depart McLaren, which was broadly criticised on the time.
“I used to be re-watching some interviews that you simply [Ted Kravitz, who also appeared on the podcast] and Martin had been doing in the direction of the tip of 2012 with folks like Niki Lauda about Lewis coming to Mercedes,” he added.
“Even that was a little bit of a punt. He simply wished a change of atmosphere to depart McLaren and go some other place.
“I feel he does however it’s a calculated threat. It’s labored out as soon as. Let’s see if it occurs once more.”
