Juan Pablo Montoya is convinced that Lewis Hamilton is on course for an F1 2025 title charge with Ferrari following his arrival from Mercedes.

And he believes the seven-time World Champion has timed his latest team switch to perfection, likening it to Hamilton‘s move from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013.

Lewis Hamilton tipped for Ferrari F1 2025 title charge

Hamilton is due to start work at Ferrari next month, having announced in February that he will join Ferrari on a multi-year contract from the F1 2025 season.

Hamilton stands as the most decorated driver in F1 history, having equalled Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record of seven titles in 2020 before becoming the first man to surpass 100 grand prix wins and pole positions the following year.

The British driver’s only previous team move came at the end of 2012 season, when he left McLaren to replace Schumacher at Mercedes.

McLaren proceeded to go nine years without a race win after Hamilton’s departure, yet returned to the summit of the sport in F1 2024 by claiming their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998.

After a tentative start to his Mercedes career, meanwhile, Hamilton went on to win six titles in seven years with Mercedes after the V6-hybrid regulations were introduced in 2014.

With Ferrari falling just 14 points behind McLaren in the final F1 2024 standings, Montoya believes Hamilton is arriving at Maranello at just the right time.

And he is convinced there is “a real possibility” that he could finally land a record eighth World Championship in F1 2025.

He told Instant Casino: “Every time Lewis jumps ship, he does so to a winning car. It is remarkable. It is great for him and hats off to him.

“He goes to McLaren and starts winning. He leaves McLaren and everyone wonders why.

“They go to the back of the grid and Lewis goes to Mercedes and wins all those championships. It is uncanny.

“Ferrari are making such improvements and low [sic] and behold here comes Lewis. It is unbelievable.

“I don’t know how he does it but he always lands in a better place.

“Good for him and it will be great to have Lewis in a Ferrari winning races and potentially the championship.

“That is a real possibility.”

Hamilton has been restricted to just two race victories over the last three seasons with Mercedes struggling to get to grips with the ground-effect regulations implemented at the start of 2022.

Despite returning to the top step of the podium with wins in Britain and Belgium, the F1 2024 season proved to be one of the most challenging of his career as he struggled to match Mercedes team-mate George Russell in qualifying.

Having qualified behind Russell 19 times in 24 races, Hamilton conceded that he is “not fast anymore” at the penultimate race in Qatar, where he incurred separate penalties for a false start and speeding in the pit lane.

That performance prompted Eddie Jordan, the former F1 team owner, to urge Ferrari to back out of the deal to sign Hamilton.

And he pleaded with Hamilton, who will turn 40 on January 7, to retire gracefully before he risks damaging his F1 legacy at Ferrari.

Appearing on the Formula For Success podcast, Jordan said: “If you don’t believe 100 per cent, you’re f**ked.

“And at the moment I heard Lewis [admit that he’s] not fast enough anymore, if I was Ferrari I would say close the book, find the way out. That’s it.

“A little message to you, Lewis: always remember in life, you’ve got your music, you’ve got your fashion, you’ve got all sorts of other things.

“You are, in most people’s view, the greatest driver of all time. Please remember what I’m going to say to you.

“Always, always think about the best exit. And this is the time to take the money off the table. Go.

“You are an amazing ambassador. We absolutely adore you.

“But don’t put yourself in a position where we think less of you because you’re marking time out at Ferrari. That’s all I will say.”

Following a short winter break, Hamilton is reportedly set to make his on-track debut with Ferrari at what is expected to be a private two-day test at the team’s Fiorano test track on January 21-22.

Ferrari have traditionally staged a private winter test at Fiorano in January to get the team and drivers back up to speed ahead of official pre-season running.

The Scuderia announced earlier this month that the team’s F1 2025 car, codenamed Project 677, will be launched on February 19, one day after F1’s collective season-launch event in London.