Although it’s been over four months since Lewis Hamilton announced the Ferrari move, it still feels like a bit of a shock. While Hamilton’s move left Wolff with a headache to find a replacement, James Allison advised that the move wasn’t unpredictable. The Mercedes technical mastermind was prepared for the move to happen.
Speaking ahead of the Spanish GP, James Allison explained how the contract allowed Hamilton to make the move. Hence, him opting for the option wasn’t a surprise. He said, “I was aware of the nature of the contract we offered. If it then happened, we shouldn’t be surprised because it explicitly a thing we were prepared to happen.”
‼️James Allison asked “how surprised were you when you heard that lewis wanted to leave the team?”
“..not massively…but i was aware of the nature of the contract we offered…” ‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/OM6W3UpDpr
— sim (@sim3744) June 19, 2024
Allison understood the decision taken by the Briton. But, like many F1 pundits, it was the timing of the decision that shook him. The Mercedes technical director added, “The precise timing and when it happened, that caught everyone a bit on the hop. But that it did happen, I don’t think was unpredictable”.
Lewis Hamilton has been with Mercedes for over a decade and won six championships with the team. While signing the extension with the Silver Arrows in 2023, the 39-year-old suggested that he still has some unfinished business, referring to winning a championship with them after 2021.
Yet, within a few months, the seven-time champion changed his mind and made the Ferrari move. Quite a difficult situation to comprehend for the F1 community.
It is believed that Hamilton asked for a multi-year contract from Mercedes along with an ambassadorial role last year, but was given the 1+1 year contract. The Briton wasn’t happy with the contract, and that is believed to be one of the reasons why he decided to jump ship to Ferrari. The Scuderia are offering the world to Hamilton, that Mercedes didn’t.
Why Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move makes sense
Mercedes have been struggling to give Lewis Hamilton a car capable of winning since the ground effect cars were introduced. The Briton, who wants to win his eighth championship, wasn’t happy with Mercedes’ subpar cars.
Ferrari, on the other hand, have been Red Bull’s closest competitor with the new era cars. The Scuderia is the only team to have won a race in all three years with the new generation of cars.
Ferrari can provide Hamilton with the chance to fight for wins, and maybe even the championship. The Briton is also being offered $100 million as yearly earnings including his salary along with a promise from John Elkann to invest in Hamilton’s charitable ventures. The seven-time champion’s Ferrari contract is believed to have an ambassadorial role as well, after he decides to retire from F1.
Lewis Hamilton is set to earn over $100,000,000 a year at Ferrari.
With this new salary at Ferrari, Hamilton will be the highest-paid Formula 1 driver, earning more than Max Verstappen’s $70 million at Red Bull and Fernando Alonso’s $34 million at Aston Martin. pic.twitter.com/xAbJoxur4m
— (@alilmoonn) February 3, 2024
The ambassadorial role isn’t just beneficial for Hamilton, but also for the Prancing Horse. Lewis Hamilton’s name in itself is a huge brand. Having the 39-year-old as an ambassador is a genius move for Ferrari’s marketing strategy. If Ferrari manages to continue its current form, Hamilton could be back to winning races in 2025.
