Lewis Hamilton has been all over the news for more than a week now after he sensationally snubbed Mercedes to switch to Ferrari in 2025. Although this news was a part of the major headlines of most of the newspapers and top media organizations, Fernando Alonso has interestingly revealed that he became aware of this story a day late.
As quoted by Junaid, the Spaniard said, “Yeah, I didn’t spend too much time. I was training that day, so I missed all the stress from everybody. So I was just one day late on the news. I don’t know, probably it was a surprise. I would not lie, I think“.
Alonso stated that Hamilton’s decision caught him off guard as he believed that the Briton was very loyal to Mercedes. Now, that the seven-time champion will move to Maranello in 2025, Alonso believes that his former McLaren teammate has what it takes to help bring the glory days back to Ferrari.
Alonso then also seemingly took a dig at Hamilton. The Spaniard questioned the 39-year-old‘s claims of referring to driving for Ferrari as a childhood dream. “It was not his childhood dream 12 months ago, no? Or two months ago I guess, because it was a different dream then,” said Alonso.
Moreover, it is pertinent to note that Alonso was not the only person who was shocked by Hamilton’s move to Ferrari in 2025. Even Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed surprise at the same.
Toto Wolff did not expect Lewis Hamilton to snub Mercedes for Ferrari
There have been rumors of Ferrari wanting to sign Lewis Hamilton since the summer of last season. However, there were never any serious discussions from either Ferrari’s end or Hamilton’s. It was only this year that the conversations became more serious.
Since Hamilton decided to change plans for 2025 in a matter of weeks, his decision also caught Toto Wolff off guard. However, the Austrian revealed that he understands the 39-year-old’s decision completely. The only thing that took him by surprise was the timing of Hamilton’s decision.
Wolff told Sky Sports, “We were very aligned when we went into the Christmas period and I think we’ve said that in public and in the team. You need to ask Lewis why he changed his mind“. According to reports, there are two key reasons why Hamilton snubbed Mercedes for Ferrari.
Firstly, the Silver Arrows only offered him a short-term deal. Secondly, Mercedes also denied offering Hamilton an ambassadorial role despite the Briton having driven for them for over a decade.
In stark contrast, Ferrari not only fulfilled both of Hamilton’s demands but also offered him much more. As per reports, the Italian outfit offered Hamilton a whopping $435 million deal.
Moreover, they also offered him a contract for 2025, with an option to extend in 2026. That is not it, as Ferrari also offered Hamilton the privilege of becoming their ambassador for 10 years. While Hamilton will be a part of Ferrari from 2025 onwards, there is a possibility that Fernando Alonso will switch allegiances to Mercedes.
The Spaniard recently gave an interesting interview where he explained how he is likely to be one of the most sought-after drivers in this year’s silly season as he is the only world champion who is available in the drivers’ market. However, Alonso made it clear that his priority continues to be to race for Aston Martin.
