Belgian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton presents Ferrari bosses with plan to make team an F1 contender again

How do you fix a problem like Ferrari? Plenty have tried, but now Lewis Hamilton has taken matters into his own hands as he plots how to win a World Championship in red.

Lewis Hamilton revealed on Thursday he had prepared his own reports to present to Ferrari’s senior management during a series of recent meetings in a bid to power the team to a first world title since 2008.

The seven-time world champion told a news conference ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix that he was not prepared to accept the fate of other multiple world champions like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

“If you look at the team over the last 20 years, they’ve had amazing drivers like Kimi (Raikkonen), Fernando and Sebastian, all world champions, but they (Alonso and Vettel) didn’t win a world championship with Ferrari — and I refuse for that to be the case with me,” he said.

“So I am going the extra mile and I’ve been fortunate to have experiences in two other great teams — and whilst things will be different because of the culture, if you take the same path, you will get the same results.”

Lewis Hamilton has presented his own reports to Ferrari bosses.

Hamilton added: “I am trying to create allies in the organisation and get them geed up. I am here to win, and this is crunch time for me.

“I truly believe in the potential of the team. I really believe they can win multiple world championships moving forward. They already have an amazing legacy, but... during my time, that is my sole goal.”

Raikkonen was Ferrari’s last drivers’ champion in Hamilton’s maiden season in Formula One in 2007, while their most recent constructors’ title came the following season when the now 40-year-old Briton won his first individual title with McLaren.

Hamilton left McLaren for Mercedes and went on to win six more drivers’ championships before joining Ferrari this year.

He and team-mate Charles Leclerc have struggled and are without a win, while Hamilton is without a podium success at the halfway stage of the 24-race campaign.

Hamilton revealed these results pushed him to hold meetings with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, Chief Executive Officer Benedetto Vigna and team boss Fred Vasseur, having prepared his own detailed documents.

“The reason is that I see a huge amount of potential within this team,” he said. “Nothing comes close to the passion, but it is a huge organisation and there are a lot of moving parts, not all of which are firing on all cylinders.

“Ultimately, that is why the team has not had the success I think it deserves and so I feel it is my job to challenge every area, to challenge everybody in the team, and particularly the guys at the top, making decisions.”

VERSTAPPEN’S POST-HORNER RED BULL FUTURE REVEALED

Max Verstappen insisted on Thursday that Christian Horner’s shock departure as team boss of Red Bull will have no impact on his future plans.

The four-time world champion, who has been linked with a move to Mercedes next year, suggested that he expects to stay with Red Bull until the conclusion of his current contract in 2028.

The Belgian Grand Prix will be Red Bull’s first since the departure of Christian Horner.

Speaking to reporters in the paddock ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, one of his ‘home’ races as he was born in Belgium and his mother is Belgian, the 27-year-old Dutchman said he was concerned only with improving the speed and performance of his car.

The rest, he said, was not of great interest to him, adding that past tensions between Horner and his father Jos Verstappen had no bearing on decisions about his future.

Asked if Horner’s exit after 20 years as team boss made it more probable that he would stay at Red Bull next year, Verstappen said: “No, it doesn’t. Not really.” He said the well-publicised discord between his father and Horner was never a problem.

“People can have a difference of opinion and I expect that to happen because if everyone agrees, there is a problem.

“You need to have differences in opinion. Now, we will work in a different direction and I am excited about it and I don’t think it will matter at all for the decision over my future.

Horner reacts to Verstappen winning in Belgium in 2023.

“The only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can and try and be more competitive this year, a little bit, but for sure with the new regulations next year.” Verstappen had earlier welcomed the appointment of Frenchman Laurent Mekies, promoted from junior team Racing Bulls, as Horner’s successor and clearly sensed that it could usher in a stronger technical and engineering focus at the team.

“I had already quite a few meetings with Laurent as well, you know. The last two weeks have been quite intense,” he said.

“I’m equally excited for the team now moving forward because that’s what we have to do.” Verstappen gave an oblique response when asked if he had a decision to make about his future.

“There is also the possibility of not waking up tomorrow and so there is no driving.

“Life is unpredictable and, in general, I am happy with where I am at...

“The target was that when I signed my deal, I would drive here until the end of my career.” Verstappen will be hoping to end the speculation and give both the team and new boss Mekies a boost with a convincing performance this weekend on his favourite circuit.

The Dutchman finds himself in the unaccustomed position of third in the drivers’ standings, behind leader Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, both of McLaren.

Originally published as Belgian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton presents Ferrari bosses with plan to make team an F1 contender again