Former Formula 1 team bosses Eddie Jordan and Flavio Briatore have launched scathing criticisms of Ferrari's decision to sign Lewis Hamilton and drop Carlos Sainz for the upcoming season.
Jordan branded the move "suicidal" in comments made on his Formula For Success podcast.
The controversial driver swap has also drawn sharp criticism from Briatore, who questioned the logic of breaking up Ferrari's successful partnership of Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton began his Ferrari duties on January 1, replacing Sainz who impressed during his four-year spell with the Italian team.
Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari next season
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Jordan delivered his criticism through his "FFS moment of the year" award, directed at Ferrari chairman John Elkann.
The former F1 team owner questioned Elkann's judgment, stating: "What the f*** was he thinking about in getting rid of Carlos, when he had a very happy, friendly, structured team that knew how to work together?"
The award, presented on Jordan's podcast alongside David Coulthard, highlighted his strong disapproval of Ferrari's decision to replace Sainz with Hamilton.
Jordan expressed concerns about disrupting Ferrari's team dynamics, noting they had "a real opportunity" for "great success" with their previous lineup.
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While acknowledging Hamilton as "a particularly nice person," Jordan warned about the challenges of integrating a new team member.
"Now he has to start thinking about gelling and mending away, that he can get a new member of the team, egos, everything involved," Jordan said of the situation facing Ferrari.
Briatore, who serves as a special adviser to the former Renault team, echoed Jordan's concerns about Ferrari's decision.
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"Ferrari had two top drivers in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. I don't understand why they split up this great pairing," Briatore told reporters.
The Italian was particularly direct in his assessment, stating: "If I had been in a position of responsibility at Ferrari, I wouldn't have signed Lewis."
Briatore also highlighted the potential language barrier, noting Leclerc's advantage in speaking Italian within the team.
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Despite his criticism, Briatore acknowledged potential benefits of Hamilton's move to Ferrari for Formula 1's broader appeal.
"In principle, it's good for Formula 1 if Lewis drives for Ferrari. And everything that's good for Formula 1 is good for me too. It's certainly good for television and the ratings," he said.
However, Briatore remained cautious about Hamilton's future performance, adding: "Let's wait and see.
"Time will tell how well he drives in the Ferrari - that would make Formula 1 even more interesting."
