Villeneuve on Hamilton in red: “Briatore short-sighted, Ferrari is not just F1. It’s the best move ever”. Jacques Villeneuve on the economic significance of Lewis Hamilotin's arrival in Maranello.

Flavio Briatore’s jab
In recent weeks, Flavio Briatore had expressed a negative opinion about Ferrari signing Lewis Hamilton, emphasizing his inability to understand the decision to part ways with a valuable driver like Carlos Sainz. The words of the Italian manager, recently returned full-time to the Circus as Alpine’s executive consultant, did not go unnoticed.

Jacques Villeneuve’s opinion
During an interview with Action Network, Jacques Villeneuve was asked to comment on the statements made by the Italian manager. The 1997 world champion’s analysis is quite intriguing, as it frames Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari within a much broader context than just F1:
“It is very short-sighted of Briatore to suggest he doesn’t understand the logic behind his signing. Just look at Ferrari’s stock value when they announced it. You can’t look at Ferrari just as a racing team; we’re talking about an entire sector. They are in F1 to win, but winning helps them sell more cars and increase Ferrari’s value. This is business, and signing Lewis Hamilton has been worth millions and millions, making it the best move they’ve ever made.”

Jacques Villeneuve has thus given his blessing to the seven-time world champion’s arrival in Maranello:
“Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is the most significant F1 decision since Michael Schumacher left Benetton for Ferrari. Regardless of race results, Hamilton is the most important driver of all time in terms of his following. We’re talking about a unique figure who has broken the mold, with an image that goes beyond F1. And there aren’t many drivers like him.”

The Canadian then concludes his reasoning with a striking statement:
“If you take Verstappen out of F1, no one will care; if you take Hamilton out, people will care.”