Lewis Hamilton Mercedes exit mistake noted after 'little kid lure' to Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton would have been better suited sticking with Mercedes if his Ferrari switch was centred around opportunities for 2026, according to ex-F1 strategist Bernie Collins.

Hamilton endured a highly difficult first season with Ferrari following his arrival from Mercedes.

No podium result fell his way throughout the season, marking the first time he has finished a campaign without a single top-three finish.

Hamilton is hoping the regulations reset for 2026 will play into his favour as all teams start from a blank page.

But as paddock whisperings suggest Mercedes' power unit may be the benchmark, Collins stated Hamilton may have been better off staying put at the Brackley-based squad.

“If he had one eye on 2026, I actually think staying in the Mercedes gig would have been the place to stay,” Collins told Sky F1.

“When you're going to these places, when you’re trying to pick your driver, decide [what you] want to do, everyone is trying to sell you something.

“But no one's quite proved to you how good the car is going to be.”

Hamilton's decision to join Ferrari was a bombshell development as the sport's most successful driver joined forces with his most successful team.

Although the relationship has failed to produce the goods that were hoped for, Collins conceded she understands why Hamilton felt the appeal to make the move.

“It’s that little kid lure of the red Ferrari that's done it,” she said. “He wanted that opportunity to drive in red, to see himself in that car.

“I can totally imagine the dream. We all bought into that at the beginning of the year. We thought, this is going to be fantastic.

“We didn't think that the year was going to be as tough as it is. And if it was the 2026 seal, then he might have been a bit more set up for that [at Mercedes].”