There is absolutely no denying that Lewis Hamilton is one of the most important figures in the motorsport community, considering his immense success on and off the track. However, even for someone as successful as Hamilton, Formula 1 may prove to be a little too brutal. Despite winning six world championship titles with Mercedes, the 39-year-old couldn’t strike a reasonable contract extension deal with his beloved German outfit.
Instead, Hamilton was obliged to agree upon a rather dissatisfying two-year deal valid only until the end of 2025. This is when Ferrari entered the fray with an enticing deal for their dream target. The Maranello outfit sensed a bit of disagreement between the two parties despite a signed contract on the table. And after a series of convincing, Ferrari managed to snatch Hamilton from Mercedes, announcing his arrival following the end of 2024.
This led many to wonder how Ferrari may have impressed Hamilton. Was it money? Was it an assurance of support off-track? Well, it’s more than just that! The only thing Hamilton ever wanted was some more time on the grid, which Mercedes refused to offer. However, turns out, that wasn’t the case at Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton contract details revealed by Ferrari boss
Ferrari F1 team principal, Fred Vasseur, was arguably the most excited upon hearing the signing of Hamilton. And of course, why wouldn’t he be? The Frenchman invested a lot of time and energy into reconstructing a visibly sinking team and somehow rescued it from suffering further embarrassments in F1. From competing in the midfield, Ferrari made its way back into the contention for podiums. But, of course, the legacy of Ferrari was much larger than that.
Therefore, all the Prancing Stallion needed was a strong but safe line-up that did not have drivers battling against each other rather than the opponents. And Hamilton was the perfect solution to that. Ferrari knew Hamilton’s value and threw the kitchen sink at acquiring the seven-time world champion’s services.
#F1 | Fred Vasseur reveals that Lewis Hamilton signed for three years with Ferrari.
Lewis initially wanted these three years with Mercedes, but they only gave him a 1+1.
“He had to make a choice: ‘Where do I have the greatest chance of winning the world championship in 2025,… pic.twitter.com/8wx5d19vZV
— deni (@fiagirly) July 10, 2024
According to Motorsport-Nextgen, Vasseur hinted that Hamilton’s partnership will go beyond 2026. Yes! The Briton will most likely race in Formula 1 until he turns 42, which is three years from now in 2027. Here’s what Vasseur said:
“He had to make a choice: ‘Where do I have the greatest chance of winning the world championship in 2025, 2026 and 2027?’ And he said: ‘Ferrari’. We have good people at Ferrari, but I want to strengthen them. Lewis was an important symbol because he sends a positive message to the paddock for the future of the team.”
Meanwhile, Toto Wolff and Mercedes weren’t too keen on keeping Hamilton beyond 2025, considering the potential arrival of wunderkind Kimi Antonelli.
Sara Chavan