Seven-time Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton has been the focal point recently as his contract expires at the end of this year. Since Mercedes have been unable to provide him with a car that is capable of fighting for the world championship this season, there have been widespread rumors that he may move to rivals Ferrari.
However, if the Prancing Horse are to sign him, then they most likely will have to splurge a huge amount of money. formu1auno had earlier reported that Ferrari may consider offering him in a range of $40-50 million to sway him away from Mercedes.
Nessuna offerta Ferrari a Hamilton, men che meno di oltre 40 milioni di euro. Ferrari pronta a velocizzare/chiudere in pochi mesi il rinnovo di Leclerc. Il monegasco avrà la stessa fretta di chiudere l’accordo? Importante ricordarsi come Elkann ha chiuso con Vettel.#Formu1a #F1
— Piergiuseppe Donadoni (@SmilexTech) May 24, 2023
However, according to veteran F1 journalist Peter Windsor (as quoted by Tutkumuz F1), Ferrari will have to submit a much more lucrative offer. Windsor believes that if Ferrari are serious about signing Hamilton, then they will at least need to offer the Briton a whopping $100,000,000.
💥Ferrari “tarihi” transfer için kesenin ağzını açmak zorunda!
🎙️Peter Windsor: “Lewis Hamilton’ı ikna etmek istiyorlarsa 80 milyon pound değerinde bir teklif sunmaları gerekiyor. Aksi halde onunla görüşmeye çalışmamalılar.” pic.twitter.com/7Fu2DGW5Sm
— Tutkumuz F1 (@F1tutkumuz) June 1, 2023
Even though the rumors persist that Hamilton may consider joining Ferrari, the 38-year-old has rubbished the same. In an interview ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix last week, the Briton made it clear that his team and Toto Wolff were close to signing a contract extension.
What are the chances of Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes for Ferrari?
Even though Lewis Hamilton quashed the rumors of a potential move to Ferrari, the speculations have not died down. According to Business F1, the Briton is unhappy with Mercedes and Toto Wolff, and is desperate of moving to a rival team.
The report from Business F1 notes that Hamilton had made his frustration clear at the beginning of this season when he publicly slammed Mercedes for not listening to him. The 38-year-old said, “I have driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs and what a car does not need“.
Hamilton then went on to add that the team now needs to feel accountable for not listening to him and acknowledge the concerns that are there with the car. If the reports of Hamilton growing increasingly frustrated are true, then there is a chance that he may move to a rival team like Ferrari once his contract ends after this season.
Hamilton was previously close to signing for Ferrari
According to the same report issued by Business F1, Lewis Hamilton was close to signing for Ferrari in 2021. Jonathan McEvoy of the London Daily Mail believes that if former Ferrari boss Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was still running the team, then the Briton would have surely signed for them.
As for the situation now, the report states that Ferrari chairman John Elkann is already in contact with Hamilton for a potential move. Moreover, with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff having managed to kept Hamilton at the side for half the salary he earned prior to the 2020 season, Business F1 believes that there is no chance that he would now negotiate another deal.
