Villeneuve: Take Verstappen out of F1. Nobody cares. Take Hamilton out of F1, people care

Speaking to The Action Network, Villeneuve went as far as to say: “Take Verstappen out of F1. Nobody cares. Take Hamilton out of F1, people care."

1997 F1 world champion 'JV' also expressed confidence in 40-year-old Hamilton’s longevity in the sport, suggesting the seven-time F1 champion could continue racing for another decade if he retains his hunger.

Villeneuve was unequivocal in his assessment of Hamilton’s influence: “Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari is the most high-profile F1 move since Michael Schumacher left Benetton for Ferrari. Independent of race results.

"Lewis Hamilton is the biggest driver of all time because of all the following he has. He’s very different. He’s unique. He’s broken the mould. There’s a lot that hangs on him. He has the biggest image. His image goes beyond F1. And there’s not many drivers like that.

“Take Verstappen out of F1. Nobody cares. Take Hamilton out of F1, people care. So yes, it is the biggest signing. And Ferrari is also one of the biggest brands in the world, if not the biggest. So put the two together, yeah, of course, it’s amazing," declared Villeneuve.

Hamilton, who turned 40 on 7 January 2025, has shown no signs of stepping away from the sport. Villeneuve believes Hamilton’s physical condition is more than sufficient for him to continue competing but stresses the mental challenge is the true determining factor.

“Physically, there’s no issue,” Villeneuve said. “He’s super fit, he’s super strong. He can go on another 10 years, there’s no problem there. But it’s all in the head and his desire.

“It’s always like that with sports. Age is not the issue. It’s how mentally ready you are to give it all, to do all the training necessary, to go to bed, wake up in the morning and think only about that and focus.

“At some point in your life, maybe it loses its importance or priority. And that’s when you go down. Not because there’s a physical direct effect. It is draining, but at the same time, it’s what keeps you alive. It’s what drives you.”

Villeneuve contrasted Hamilton’s passion with that of 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, who retired immediately after winning his title. “Take Nico Rosberg, he was happier not racing. That’s just not the same level of passion."

When asked if Hamilton could be considered the greatest of all time (GOAT) if he wins an eighth title with Ferrari, Villeneuve was dismissive of the concept.

“There’s never the greatest of all time,” he declared. “There’s too much evolution with the cars. It’s too different.

“If you take someone like Jackie Stewart, he’s impressive because he won three championships in the day where two, three, or five drivers would die a year or get really hurt, and with cars that would break down in half of the races. Yet he still managed to win a lot. Same thing with Fittipaldi and so on. In a way, three championships is probably more impressive than five or six now.

“Also, when you get a superior car now, you end up winning almost 24 races instead of 15 because there are 10 more races in the calendar than there used to be. The numbers are skewed as well. The overall number of points you get; a win is 25 points. It used to be 8, then 9, then 10. So that skews it as well. You can’t compare eras.”

Villeneuve also addressed Flavio Briatore’s criticism of Ferrari for signing Hamilton instead of continuing with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. He called Briatore’s view “short-sighted” and highlighted the broader benefits Hamilton brings to the Scuderia.

Reacting to Briatore's comments, Villeneuve said: “You just have to look at the value of Ferrari the minute they signed him. You can’t look at Ferrari just as a racing team. It’s a whole industry.

"Yes, they are there to win, but winning helps them sell more cars and adds to the value of Ferrari. That’s what the business is, and signing Lewis was worth millions and millions. So it was the best move they’ve ever done," added the 53-year-old Canadian.

Villeneuve concluded by reflecting on Hamilton’s impact on both Ferrari and the sport at large: “Hamilton at Ferrari is not just about racing. It’s a statement, a collaboration of two global icons. And that’s why people care.”