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 John Elkann the pushing the deal.
Ferrari president John Elkann has been the “driving force” behind them signing Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes for the 2025 F1 season.
Hamilton will team up with Charles Leclerc for 2025, bringing an end to his long-term alliance with Mercedes.
Since being in F1, Hamilton has only driven for Mercedes-powered teams - McLaren between 2007 and 2012, and Mercedes since 2013.
It’s a seismic move for the sport which sees its most successful driver in Hamilton joining the most successful constructor in Ferrari.
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 wear red next year.
As revealed by Sky Sports F1 reporter 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 courtship [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 knows 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 teammate and gets a result against him.
“He changes teams to an upstart team who 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, and that’s why they signed 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 for 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.”
