Jenson Button highlights Lewis Hamilton change that enabled Ferrari move

Jenson Button believes the time was right for Lewis Hamilton to take on a new challenge

Jenson Button believes the time was right for Lewis Hamilton to take on a new challenge (Getty Images)

Jenson Button believes Lewis Hamilton needed a new challenge as he explains the motivation behind the British driver’s shock move to Ferrari.

Hamilton has his worst start to a Formula One campaign in his final season for Mercedes, ahead of the Maimi Grand Prix, and after the race in Shanghai was ninth in the driver standings.

His last victory came 50 races ago, or more than two years,and Max Verstappen has started 2024 in total control, winning the first five races of the season.

Hamilton announced before the start of the season that he will join Ferrari from the 2025 season.

Button, who was teammates with Hamilton for three seasons between 2010 and 2012.

“I think this is a great time in motorsport,” Button said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“We’ll never be 100 per cent happy, we never are. We want more action, more excitement, more controversy. I think the exciting thing right now is we do have drivers moving around.

“It’s great to see Lewis jumping from Mercedes, who have given him all these World Championships, to drive for Ferrari.”

He added: “This guy that was given the opportunities, has won so many World Championships, and took it.

“He’s one of the best drivers I’ve ever seen drive a racing car. I’ve seen it first-hand, we were team-mates for three years.

“To have that confidence in himself to move to Ferrari and go up against someone like Charles, I would say: ‘Bravo, Lewis.’

“I think, when we were team-mates, he didn’t have that confidence.

“But now he does and he’s a really rounded driver and confident that he can go and have another challenge.”

There were hints of improvement from Hamilton at the Chinese Grand Prix, when he led the sprint race for eight laps before being overtaken by Verstappen.

Hamilton has not finished in the top six in any of the opening five races of the season.