Ferrari’s team principal also mentioned no discussions but said every team would love to have Hamilton on their lineup.
Lewis Hamilton, one of the top F1 drivers of all time, confirmed he would continue his career with the Mercedes-AMG team, putting to rest potential doubts caused by rumors of an offer from Ferrari. The news originated from a report by a UK press, which caused quite a stir by claiming the Italian team was attempting to recruit the seven-time champion for the upcoming season with a $75 million contract. This also led to speculation about a possible driver swap involving Charles Leclerc moving to Mercedes.
However, just before the Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton firmly stated the rumor was unfounded and confirmed he had no agreement with Ferrari. Moreover, he never considered moving to the red side and playfully hinted it might have stemmed from boredom due to the previous week’s canceled races. “Unless you hear it from me, then that’s all it is,” he added.
Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, also denied any discussions with Hamilton. Although he praised the exceptional driver and acknowledged that every F1 team would want him in their lineup, he agreed that spreading unfounded information is not right. Nonetheless, he mentioned they were accustomed to wild rumors making the rounds all the time but paid no attention and preferred to remain focused on the road ahead.
Still, the news of Hamilton’s potential departure from Mercedes quickly gained widespread attention, especially as his contract renewal has not been finalized yet, set to expire at the end of the year. But the seven-time F1 world champion is currently in the final stages and is expected to sign a contract in the upcoming weeks. He expressed his satisfaction with not being directly involved in negotiations with Toto Wolff, the CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, as he entrusted the task to the competent team, allowing him to entirely focus on his role and deliver his best on the track.
In addition, the British driver explained Mercedes’ performance has not yet peaked this season and reminded everyone, “We’re still a championship-winning team.” According to him, the main issue lies with the car not meeting expectations, but they are working hard to make improvements and introduce upgrades.
In fact, the latest improvement to the car, involving brand new sidepods, seems to have paid off during the Monaco Grand Prix, resulting in P4 and P5 positions for himself and his teammate George Russell (63), respectively.
Overall, Hamilton moving to Ferrari seems to remain fiction for now, as he’ll likely want to stick with Mercedes until the end of his career. But honestly, all we hope is to see him in a car fast enough to fight off Red Bull so he can bring us more good ol’ on-the-track action again.
