Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari sent shockwaves around the paddock last year after they announced that they would be joining forces, beginning this season. With Ferrari confirming that it would be Carlos Sainz Jr. who would make way for the Briton, several of the Spaniard’s fans were unhappy with the decision.
Many pointed out how Sainz Jr. was not only a very loyal driver, who always prioritized the interests of the team but also a very quick racer who delivered consistent results for the Prancing Horse. Soon after Ferrari announced their decision, Carlos Sainz Sr., Sainz Jr’s father, made some sensational claims.
“Ferrari was happy with Carlos (Jr.) but the possibility appeared because Hamilton himself produced it,” Sainz Sr. told El Cafelito. “It is he who approached Ferrari, then the circumstances arose”.
However, a Hamilton fan page has now fact-checked Sainz Sr., proving how it was Ferrari chairman John Elkann who wanted the seven-time champion to join his side. The fan page posted F1 insider Lawrence Barretto’s interview on the F1 Nation podcast, where he explained how it was Elkann who contacted Hamilton around the Monaco GP in May 2023 to initiate discussions over a potential move.
“Lewis, come to Ferrari, we want you here, we will offer you the world”, Elkann said, Per Barretto.
Barretto added that Hamilton, in fact, refused to sign for Ferrari then and it was only when Elkann gave him another call in the winter did the Briton change his mind. “John then gave him another call as autumn turned to winter and was like, ‘Lewis, this is what we can offer you. A multi-year deal'”.
pic.twitter.com/aQ43iqZxmA https://t.co/ABR1PdbCrx
— Hamilton Insights (@LH44_insights) January 26, 2025
Barretto believes that it was the multi-year deal that convinced Hamilton to sign for Ferrari as Mercedes were only willing to offer him a 1+1 year deal at the time. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also confirmed the same in a later interview when he explained the rationale behind his side’s decision.
The Silver Arrows were not keen on offering Hamilton a multi-year deal because per Wolff, the now 40-year-old is towards the end of his “shelf life“. From the point of view of Sainz’s family, though, it is understandable why this situation has left them annoyed.
After all, Sainz Jr. now has to drive for a backmarker team like Williams after having had four successful years at Ferrari, clinching four wins and 25 podiums. However, for Hamilton, it was not just his conversation with Elkann that persuaded him to join Ferrari.
Hamilton always wanted to race for Ferrari
Despite having pledged his allegiance to Mercedes for over a decade, the allure of Ferrari was enough to persuade Hamilton to join them. Most F1 drivers dream of racing in the scarlet red of Ferrari and also win the championship with them. Hamilton is no different.
“I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfill another childhood dream,” he wrote in an X post last year as he reflected on his time with the Silver Arrows and discussed how it had been his childhood dream to “Driving in Ferrari red”.
It’s been a crazy few days which have been filled with a whole range of emotions.
But as you all now know, after an incredible 11 years at Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, the time has come for me to start a new chapter in my life and I will be joining Scuderia Ferrari in 2025.
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) February 3, 2024
Moreover, as Barretto said in his interview, there were other factors also that persuaded Hamilton to join Ferrari. Elkann, sticking to his promise of offering “the world” to Hamilton, has reportedly offered the Briton a staggering $87 million in 2025 itself.
A huge portion of this amount is Hamilton’s salary while Ferrari will reportedly also support the Briton’s Mission 44 foundation by paying approximately $20 million towards it. Additionally, the Italian brand have also offered Hamilton the ambassadorial role, something Mercedes reportedly refused.
Hamilton’s bond with Frederic Vasseur
Last but not least is the Frederic Vasseur factor that has convinced Hamilton to jump ship to Maranello. Having worked with the Frenchman during his junior formula days, Hamilton has a close relationship with him and together they also achieved plenty of success.
After failing to win the Formula 3 Euro Series with Manor Motorsport in 2004, Hamilton joined ASM Formule 3, where Vasseur was the boss, and won the title in his first season with them. A year later, he moved to ART Grand Prix — which was again Vasseur’s team — and won the GP2 championship in his rookie season.
And it seems the stars have aligned once again. Now, only time will tell if the Vasseur-Hamilton partnership can help Ferrari break their title drought while helping the Briton clinch his record eighth title.
