Throughout his Formula One career, Hamilton has been associated with a Ferrari move. When rumors surfaced in May of last year that Hamilton had been in negotiations about switching teams for 2024, he refuted any communication, while Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur asserted that they “didn’t have discussions.”
Working with Hamilton during his junior racing career, Vasseur declared in December that they were “always in communication” before making a jesting comment, saying, “It would have cost me a lot if he had signed a contract with me every time we spoke in the past!”
Hamilton is also well-known for having a tight relationship with Ferrari’s president, John Elkann, whom he first met at a Google event in Italy many years ago. Hamilton remarked in November, “That’s when our friendship started, and we’ve always stayed in touch.”
Elkann is rumored to have long desired Hamilton, and signing him would give his club the biggest name in sports and make a significant statement for Ferrari as it looks to snap its eight-year championship drought.
In his attempt to capture an eighth drivers’ championship, Hamilton would be making a significant move after controversially losing out to Max Verstappen for a record-breaking victory in 2021.
Before ending his Formula One career, Hamilton would be taking a major risk by joining Ferrari, which placed three points behind Mercedes in the previous season’s standings. Hamilton would be investing in a car that could win races and titles.
Since joining Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton has won six of his seven world championships. He also contributed to the development of one of the most successful teams in Formula One history, which won eight straight constructors’ titles from 2014 to 2021.
However, Mercedes has struggled to match the form of the dominant Red Bull squad over the last two seasons due to a fall in luck. Due to this, Hamilton hasn’t won a race since December 2021, breaking his all-time record of at least one victory per season, which dates back to 2007.
