Karun Chandhok ponders timing of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes exit with ‘some inkling’ suggested

With his final season at Mercedes off to a difficult start, Karun Chandhok believes Lewis Hamilton will draw some comfort from Ferrari’s success ahead of his big F1 2025 move.

While Mercedes’ form has stagnated, if not taken a step backwards in the early races, Ferrari have emerged as Red Bull’s closest challenger.

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After Carlos Sainz led home a Ferrari one-two finish in Australia, his second podium of the championship and Ferrari’s fourth in total, with the Scuderia sitting just four points behind Red Bull in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings.

Charles Leclerc is second to Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship, with Sainz just seven points further back despite sitting out the Saudi Arabian GP, while Ferrari are close behind Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.

It’s a notable difference to Mercedes’ results with the Brackley squad yet to step onto the podium with a best showing of a P5 in Bahrain.

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The fourth-fastest car on the car at best – fifth at worst and behind Aston Martin – they’ve brought in just 26 points with Hamilton sitting on eight.

That officially marks his worst-ever start to a Formula 1 season.

But there is a light, a big red one, at the end of his tunnel.

“It’s natural that Lewis will feel comforted,” Chandhok told Sky F1.

“He knows he’s probably not going to win the World Championship this year unless there is a miraculous turnaround, so he might as well look to the future.

“And at the moment, the Ferrari is a better package than the Mercedes.”

Chandhok has pondered whether Hamilton had some idea of what would transpire this season when he made the call in January to sign with Ferrari.

His timing was unusual as he signed with the Scuderia even before the first race of the championship, even before pre-season testing.

“The timing of his decision, it couldn’t have been out of nothing,” Chandhok said.

“The timing suggests he had some inkling that it wasn’t going to be great, so I might as well take the chance to try something new.

“If he thought Mercedes were going to give him a car that would win him the championship this year and in 2025, I don’t think he would have left.

“We all know what happened with Max’s retirement, but I imagine Lewis took a little bit of satisfaction at seeing the Ferrari one-two.”

Back in February, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff questioned about reports Hamilton had made the decision to leave Ferrari for Mercedes after testing the W15 in the team’s simulator.

He sidestepped that, saying: “I think he’s taken his decision over the winter to join Ferrari and there’s benefits of keeping it to yourself and then deciding maybe at a later stage.

“But then also if you have set your mind and you are sailing, that’s OK.”

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