Lewis Hamilton, one of F1’s most successful drivers ever, is reportedly on the verge of completing a shocking move to Ferrari. This comes after months (if not years) of rumors linking the Briton to his ‘dream team’ as he revealed on several occasions. Of course, having a seven-time world champion on your team is a priceless addition, but this move may have much to do with Hamilton’s history with Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur. Unfortunately, Carlos Sainz, who was the only non-Red Bull race winner of 2023, is the one who will be sacrificed.
Hamilton and Vasseur go way back before the current Mercedes driver even made his F1 debut. According to Lewis Hamilton: The Triple World Champion (a book by Frank Worrall), Vasseur has admired Hamilton since his F3 days.
Hamilton used to drive for ASM in F3, a team founded by Vasseur. Of course, Hamilton’s performances were exemplary, and in the Formula 3 Euro Series of 2005, he decimated the rest of the field winning 11 out of 16 races. The book quotes Vasseur saying,
“It was obvious that he was a natural, but also very dedicated. All drivers say that their ambition is to be world champion but very few actually focus on doing it. Lewis is one of the few.”
Hamilton’s relationship with Vasseur continued to grow stronger every day. The Frenchman’s fondness for the future legend kept growing, and the biography reveals how Vasseur thought Hamilton’s friendliness and presence motivated the team as a whole. This relationship between them continued to grow, even after Hamilton left F3, and ventured into F2.
How Fred Vasseur helped Lewis Hamilton’s GP2 success
After Ron Dennis (then McLaren boss) saw Hamilton making strides in F3, he wanted the Stevenage-born driver to make the jump to GP2 (which is Formula 2 today). Vasseur, taking charge of this, decided to give Hamilton a seat at ART, which was also his own team.
As he did in F3, Hamilton dominated GP2 too. In his very first season, he won the championship which was at a perfect time, since McLaren had a seat vacant for him at the pinnacle of motorsport.
It was finally time for Hamilton to move out of Vasseur’s care, but neither forgot the time they spent together. For Hamilton, the Frenchman helped pave the way for him to F1, which formed an ever-lasting bond. Before leaving for F1, he also paid a tribute, both to him, and Jean Todt who was also ART’s co-boss. He said:
“They gave a really good understanding technically because when you get into Formula 1 you really have to have a great knowledge of the car to be able to communicate with your team.”
Vasseur and Hamilton spoke to each other before every F1 race
Even after their partnership ended on paper, following the conclusion of Hamilton’s junior career, they stayed in regular touch. Last year, after becoming Ferrari’s team principal, as reported by Reuters, Vasseur revealed that Hamilton raced for him 20 years, ago but they were still close.
Vasseur refused to compare Hamilton to his current drivers. He even admitted that when seen together, the media creates a “lot of fuss”. But the truth is that their friendship remained stronger than ever, and they spoke to each other ahead of every race.
From Hamilton’s point of view, driving for Ferrari was always a dream. In 2023, at the age of 38, he signed a two-year extension with Mercedes, a team that helped him win six world titles,
Fast forward to February of 2024 and Hamilton will likely not honor this contract. Finally, destiny brings him closer to fulfilling his Ferrari dream and his old camaraderie with Vasseur has most probably played a big role in that.
What does this mean for Carlos Sainz?
Carlos Sainz has been fairly consistent for Ferrari since making his debut in 2021. He had his share of bad moments but has arguably been a strong presence on the grid, alongside teammate Charles Leclerc. According to many, Sainz’s partnership with Leclerc was the most balanced on the grid.
Unfortunately for the Spaniard, Hamilton seems to be more important to Vasseur and Co. They have seemingly prioritized the 39-year-old and rejected Sainz’s contract demands as a result. A driver of his caliber will likely find a suitor pretty easily, but which team he ends up in, ahead of the 2025 season, remains to be seen.
