Ferrari 'courting' Lewis Hamilton for 'many months', John Elkann the 'driving force'
Ferrari had been interested in signing Lewis Hamilton for "some months", with their president Johnꦗ Elkann the pushing the deal♍.
Ferrari president John Elkann has been the “driving force” behind them signing 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes for the 2025 F1 season.
Hamilton will team up with 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Charles Leclerc for 🐓2025, bringi🔥ng an end to his long-term alliance with Mercedes.
Since being in F🐼1, Hamilton has only driven for Mercedes-po𓆉wered teams - McLaren between 2007 and 2012, and Mercedes since 2013.
It’s a seismic move for the sport 𒅌which sees its most successful driver in Hamilton joining the most successful constructor in Ferra♌ri.
Hamilton signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes in the 🥂middle of 2023, seemingly putting an 🌱end to speculation over his future.
But now it is confirmed that he will 𓆉wear ൲red next year.
As revealed by Sky Sports F1 re🔯porter Craig Slater, the current Ferrari president has been a major factor in bringing Hamilton to Maranello after ‘courting’ him for ‘some months’.
“My understanding is that this courts♕hip [between Ferrari and Hamilton] has been going on for some months,” Slater said. It’s not a sudden thing. John Elkann, the president and a very heavy-hitter, is very much at the centre of it and the driving force.
“Team principal Fred Vasseur is someone Lewis kn꧑ows from the junior days so there’s no friction there.
“It’s not like the chairman🌳 has signed someone over the manager’s back, that you sometimes get in football! This isn’t like that.”
Slater believes going up Leclerc will ♊be a “big challenge” for Hamilton - but not one he’s unfamiliar with.
“This is typical of Lewis Hamilton, I have to say. Never been afraid of a challenge,” he added. “He comes into F1 with Fernando Alonso as his tea🧸mmate and ge🤡ts a result against him.
“He changes teams to an upstart team wജho hadn’t done very much, Mercedes, and goes up against Nico Rosberg, a fine operator, and gets the better of him. Happy to take on George Russell, one of the best of the young prospects in F1. And now this! Joining Ferrari where Leclerc is ensconced there.
“Clearly, Ferrari identified him as their priority, anꦚd that’s why they siꦡgned him up rather than Carlos Sainz. He is managed by Nicolas Todt, the son of Jean Todt the legendary Ferrari team principal.
“So Lewis? This is a big challenge forౠ him. He will be 40, going up against one of the quickest young drivers in the world. It would be a great scalp for Leclerc to take, if he could out-score him over a year.”
With a sharp eye for F1’s conꦇtroversies and storylines🍰, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
