2016 champion Nico Rosberg produced arguably one of the biggest shocks in F1 history when he announced his retirement soon after he beat Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton for the title. Since the Silver Arrows have already gone through a period when one of their key drivers announced a shock exit, they did not want to go through a similar time again. Hence, some reports have claimed that the only reason Mercedes were hesitant to offer Hamilton a longer-term deal, as demanded, was because they feared that the Briton too might announce a Rosberg-like early retirement. However, as it turns out, Mercedes may have suffered a worse fate, with Hamilton deciding to jump ship to Ferrari in 2025.
As quoted by motorsportweek.com, the report read, “The German parent company (Mercedes) itself would have wanted to be cautious about Lewis’ future: the doubts were not so much that he would be enchanted by the Ferrari sirens, but rather that he might decide to stop suddenly, as Nico Rosberg had done after having won the 2016 World Championship“.
The report went on to claim that even Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was keen to offer Hamilton a two-year renewal. However, the orders came from the Mercedes parent company in Stuttgart that they could not risk giving the Briton anything more than a short-term deal.
The report then also added that the Mercedes parent company wanted Hamilton to provide an update about his future by the end of February. However, as it turns out, Hamilton did not even wait until then to announce that he would leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season for Ferrari.
What have Ferrari offered Lewis Hamilton?
French website Sportune have revealed that Ferrari will offer Lewis Hamilton an overall salary of $87 million (€80 million) in 2025. The report states that 20 million euros [$21 million] of the salary the Briton receives will be paid towards his foundation, Mission 44.
As for the length of the contract, Ferrari have offered him a 1-year deal with the possibility of extending it in 2026. That is not it, as the Italian outfit have also offered the Briton an ambassadorial role.
Moreover, Ferrari chairman John Elkann has personally contacted Hamilton on various occasions to make him feel appreciated and wanted. Elkann has revealed that he wants the seven-time champion to be the center of Ferrari’s resurgence.
Since it has been over a decade since Ferrari last won the championship, Elkann hopes that Hamilton can help turn the fortunes around for one of the most historic teams in F1 history. Bringing Hamilton is likely to be a masterstroke for Ferrari since the Briton could also help the team attract more sponsors.
Moreover, the day Hamilton moved to Ferrari, the parent company’s stock price also rose by nine percent. However, it is pertinent to note that the Italian company also announced fantastic Q3 results on the same date. Hence, Hamilton’s move to Ferrari may have just been an additional bonus news for the shareholders of the company and nothing more.
