Source: REUTERS/Bruna Casas
[Saba Sports News] The announcement by the Ferrari team at the end of last year about signing former Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton shocked the entire F1 community. However, Hamilton’s performance this season has been disappointing. Recently, former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto told media that it was an irrational decision for Ferrari to sign him later in his career. He said that if he were still in charge of the Ferrari team, he wouldn’t have made that decision. On the other hand, as a seven-time world champion, Hamilton carries immense commercial value and global influence. Since joining Ferrari, sales of the team’s equipment partners have increased by eight times, boosting the team’s commercial revenue and brand awareness. From a commercial perspective, Ferrari’s signing of Hamilton had some positive effects, providing substantial returns on the commercial front. In my opinion, team decisions must balance competitive results, team management, and commercial interests, and should not be judged from just one angle.