Jose Mourinho turned to Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton to defend SL Benfica’s reputation, pushing back against Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas’ claim that the Lisbon giants “arrive late” in title races.
Speaking ahead of Benfica’s December 28 clash with Braga, Mourinho argued that history and legacy outweigh short-term struggles, citing Hamilton’s seven world championships despite recent seasons without dominance.
“Lewis Hamilton arrived late to the last two Formula 1 World Championships, but won seven or eight. He arrived late, but he is the driver with the most championships,” Mourinho said, drawing a parallel between Benfica’s decorated past and Hamilton’s enduring greatness.
Sporting, who ended a decades-long wait by winning back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025, have sought to frame Benfica as a team that only finds form too late. Yet Benfica remain Portugal’s most successful club, with 38 national championships compared to Sporting’s 21. Mourinho insisted that such context cannot be dismissed.
Like Benfica, Hamilton has struggled in recent years
Hamilton’s career illustrates the point. While his record remains unmatched – most wins, poles, podiums, and career points in F1 history – his recent campaigns have been challenging.
His final season with Mercedes in 2024 saw him finish seventh overall, his lowest ever, despite two wins and five podiums. His first year at Ferrari in 2025 was even tougher: he ended sixth in the standings with 156 points and, for the first time in his career, failed to reach the podium.
Ferrari, meanwhile, went winless and finished behind Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes in the Constructors’ standings.
Mourinho’s admiration for Hamilton and Ferrari is longstanding. He has often visited the paddock, including at Silverstone earlier this year, where Hamilton welcomed him and his family into the Scuderia garage.
The parallels between Real Madrid and Ferrari, according to Mourinho
Reflecting on Ferrari’s stature, Mourinho compared the team to Real Madrid: “Ferrari is the Real Madrid of Formula 1. At Real, they say that when you put on the white jersey, you’re already winning 1-0.
“It’s the same with Ferrari – when you step onto the track, you win. But while wearing red is a dream, it is also a huge responsibility.”
That responsibility weighed heavily in 2025, as Ferrari shifted resources toward 2026 development, leaving Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with a car lacking consistency.
Even so, Hamilton managed a fourth-place finish at Silverstone in difficult conditions, a reminder of his resilience – and the lesson Mourinho believes applies to Benfica: history and greatness endure, even when the present feels late.
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