'Hamilton will only become the GOAT if he achieves this in F1'

Former F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella believes he raced alongside two drivers who are in the conversation to be the GOAT, but neither are at the level of Ayrton Senna. The greatest of all time in Formula 1 is a conversation that will never close. Though the Italian says Hamilton can become the GOAT if he wins an eighth World Championship trophy.

The hunt for an 8th F1 title

At 39, time might be running out for the British driver. However, his recent deal at Ferrari is a multi-year contract so he has chances to achieve his dream in 2024, 2025 and 2026 at least. Hamilton will drive for Mercedes this season before rolling the dice and moving to Ferrari for the latter two years.

Fisichella himself drove for Ferrari in 2009, replacing the injured Felipe Massa. He suggests Hamilton has a good chance of beating his rivals when he moves to Ferrari. "I think Lewis Hamilton has a good chance of winning an eighth title with Ferrari. It's difficult to say when, but I think he's got a 30% or 40% chance of fighting for the championship," he said in a conversation with OLBG. 

"I hope that Lewis Hamilton does win an eighth title with Ferrari. It would be nice. It depends on the car and if it's quick and reliable enough to go the distance. We're already talking about 2025, and we still have this season to see what will happen."

Where does Hamilton rank?

Fisichella competed in 229 Grands Prix, placing him 14th on the all-time list. He made his debut in 1996, so most of his career was shared with Michael Schumacher. The Italian was never Michael's teammate, but he saw how talented the German was up close. 

"I would say that an eighth world title would put Hamilton above the likes of Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. Schumacher and Senna are my heroes and my favourite drivers. Lewis is on the same level, and Max Verstappen could be there in the future. Senna is first because he was my hero when I was growing up, long before I was racing for Formula One. I would put Schumacher second as I raced against him and I know how good he was. I also raced against Lewis, who would be my third," he concluded.