23 April 2023 , 17:35
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Eddie Jordan believes Lewis Hamilton should quit Mercedes and join Ferrari.
Hamilton, 38, has won six of his seven Formula 1 world championships with Mercedes after leaving McLaren in 2012. Although the British driver has enjoyed significant success with Mercedes, the team have struggled during the last year-and-a-half. Hamilton endured his first ever winless season last year, with Max Verstappen now dominating F1.
Hamilton's existing deal with Mercedes expires at the end of the year and Jordan, who was in charge of the Jordan team between 1991 and 2005, believes it's time for the superstar to move on. Hamilton is running out of time to win a record eighth world title.
"There’s only one place he could go to in my opinion and that is Ferrari," Jordan, who now works as an analyst, told The Express when asked about Hamilton's future. "A guy with the talent that he is, and I think it might be a [match made] in heaven.
"I think Ferrari need shaking up and I think Lewis Hamilton needs shaking up, if they are going to continue."
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There is some doubt over whether Hamilton will continue in F1, with his legacy already secure. The driving icon holds the record for the most wins (103), pole positions (103) and podium finishes (192) in F1. Only Michael Schumacher has won as many world titles.
Eddie Jordan has offered some advice to Lewis Hamilton (2014 Getty Images/Mark Thompson)Do you agree with Eddie Jordan? Let us know in the comments below!
Jordan added: "If Lewis is going to continue then I think he needs a change. For his mindset, for his drive, for an initiative, for fun. Learning Italian, dealing and eating pasta with those guys, it’s a different world. And having run a team we always saw how different Ferrari operates and I would love to see Lewis in that environment."
Ferrari are the most iconic team in F1 after winning a record 16 constructers' championships. They have also won a record 15 drivers' championships. Yet it's been a long time since Ferrari tasted success, with their last constructers' title coming in 2008.
Ferrari's current driver line-up is Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr, with Antonio Giovianzzi and Robert Shwartzman in reserve. They are fourth in this year's constructers' championship, 30 points behind Mercedes. Red Bull are 58 points clear at the top.
Jordan continued: "I think he could really shake them up. I think he could bring a new sense of direction to them, I think he would eradicate a lot of the little problems Ferrari have had.
"So therefore, I would just like to see before he fully retires, I would like to see Lewis there for a year or two to see what would happen. Just think of the column inches. It’s an amazing story. It’s unlikely to happen but it’s my dream."
Speaking to Sky Sports in 2021, Hamilton admitted: "It's definitely going to be crazy to think that I never drove for Ferrari... For everyone that's a dream position to be in. It was just never really fully on the cards for me."