Flavio Briatore has admitted he would not have chosen Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari's new driver for 2025.
The former Renault team boss, now a powerful executive advisor at Alpine, agrees with Audi chief Mattia Binotto's prior comments that Carlos Sainz should have stayed alongside Charles Leclerc.
"It will be strange to see him (Hamilton) in Ferrari colours," the 74-year-old told Sport Bild. "Of course I respect such a decision, but at the same time I wonder how sensible it was. Ferrari already had two top drivers—Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
"I don't understand why they broke up a duo that worked.
"If I had been at the top of Ferrari, I wouldn't have hired Lewis," Briatore admitted.
Hamilton, who turned 40 recently, faces widespread speculation about whether he can remain competitive at the highest level.
Briatore believes Ferrari's decision may have been influenced by financial factors.
"If we look at the big picture, it is good for F1 that Lewis is driving for Ferrari," he said. "When the series is doing well, I'm happy. So it's a good thing in terms of television and viewership."
However, Briatore remains skeptical about how well the move will work. "We'll see how it works at Ferrari," he added. "It cannot be forgotten that Charles benefits from speaking Italian in an Italian team."
Meanwhile, Eurosport Italia reports that Hamilton's first test with Ferrari is planned for the end of January in Barcelona, where he will drive a 2023-spec car for a full week.
