Lewis Hamilton is not a “guarantꦬee of success” at Ferrari because their car is still lacking, claims Giancarlo Minardi.

Ferrari were the only team to win an F1 grand prix apart from Red Bull last season, through Carlos Sai♏nz in Singapore, but they narrowly missed out on second-place in the constructors’ championship to Mercedes.

Next y𝔉ear they will welcome Hamilton in a blockbuster swoop but one veteran of thꦿe F1 paddock has delivered a reminder that their car might still not be up to scratch.

“If we talk about marketing, it's a brilliant 🍸operation, so hats off to John Elkann,” ex-F1 team founder 🐲Minardi told .

“Bu♎t if we talk about🐻 Formula 1 then the situation changes.

“There are 𒅌different dimensions. I am not naive, I understand the reasons that I will define as commercial of the great agreement between a seven-time champion of the world and the Lady in Red.

“It is a meetౠing between myth and legend. However…

"I, speaking instead of motorsport and that's it, wouldn't have taken someone like 𝔉Hamilton.”

Minardi’s reasoningꦰ is nothing to do with age. Hamilton will be 40 when he drives a Ferrari ꧑for the first time.

“No, I swe♚ar that in my reasoning the registry office doesn't matter,” M🍌inardi said.

“Fern🅰ando Alonso is even older than Lewis but is still very strong. And Hamilton is s🎉till competitive too.

“So 🦋we have to ask ourselve♛s: in all these years has Ferrari lost because of the fault of those who drove it?

“No, they have not bee🦄n without titles for a generation due to the responsibility of those behind the wheel.

“It follows t🧸hat Hamilton is no guarantee of success. Just as Sebastian Vettel wasn't.

“In F1 it is essential to have a winning car.

“You do𝕴n't build a house from the roof, but from the foundations.”

Fred Vasseur is entering his second year as Ferr🍒ari team principal knowing that the famous team have not crowned an F1 champion since 2007.

Vasseur pinned down Charles Le🌳clerc to a new multi-year agreement before confirming Hamilton’s arrival ne𓄧xt year.

Minardi asked: “But how will Leclerc take it?

“They extended his contract saying they were betting eve🍌rything on him.

“A week goes 🌞by and they put a legend like Hamilton next to him…

“Let's say there is more than one oddity in this stoꦇry.

“And in any case I would have kept Carlos Sainz.

ꦉ"But it may be that he already has a long-term agreement with Audi, which will enter f𝐆rom 2026.

“In any case, I would have repl🌳aced him with a ꦺyoung talent, not with a forty-year-old champion.

“If Lewis wins the world championship with Ferrari, I will be the first to celebrꦕate.

“I limit 💖myself to expressing💝 a scepticism which I hope is unfounded."

It is clear that Ferrari - ဣand everybody else on the F1 grid - lagged massively behind Red Bull last year.

Red Bull are therefore expected to hit t❀he ground running this year.

Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025, a 𒉰year before the new regulations come into F1, which the Scuderia may hope is the dawn of a ne💝w era which suits them.