Hamilton-Ferrari: the first signs
Already during the 2023 World Cup the name of Lewis Hamilton had been compared several times to Ferrari. The lack of victories with Mercedes and the uncertainty over the contract renewal with the Brackley team had sparked strong rumors about a possible future for the Briton in Maranello, which were denied several times until the final blow: the agreement reached with the team that gave him allowed him to obtain six of his seven world titles.
No exit clause
A multi-year extension, until 2025, such as to make one believe that Hamilton's experience in Formula 1 would have almost completely ended with the Anglo-German company. Precisely for this reason, in the midst of negotiations with the Team Principal Toto Wolffno exit clauses were included, as the Austrian manager explained to Sky Sports F1 last September: “This is a dynamic environment and if we had drawn up a five-year contract, we would have had to talk about possible exit clauses in case we gave him a non-performing car – he explained – because of this we didn't take it into account. We said that the next two years are a predictable period of time. And that's why we committed to each other for that period.”
Unthinkable scenarios
Words and considerations in total contrast with today's reality, towards a 2025 which will see Hamilton move to Maranello: “I think he will have a role with us in the team for a long time, even if he decides to stop racing – he added – I can't imagine him driving for another teamand will always be an icon among racing drivers and a personality outside of the sport, so I sincerely hope that our journey together continues beyond racing.”
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