Lewis Hamilton denies contact with Ferrari

This is not the first time that rumors have emerged of a possible departure from Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari. The Briton himself has always praised the merits and prestige of Team, always leaving the door ajar to a possible future collaboration, despite an unfailing loyalty demonstrated towards Mercedes.

Last week, the rumors were relaunched by several colleagues, and inevitably, the sporting difficulties of the star brand since the end of 2021 could have somewhat changed the outlook and the way of understanding the future for Lewis Hamilton. Until then, the Briton had always ended up returning to the Brackley team. Could it be different this time? 

Lewis Hamilton strongly denies

As a reminder, the native of Stevenage is at the end of his contract at the end of the season, and for the first time in his career, he has delegated negotiations to his close guard. Present at a press conference this Thursday, Lewis was in a good mood and tried to deflate the rumors sending him to Italy. Note that the contracts of Charles Leclerc et Carlos Sainz end in 2024 anyway.

“Naturally, when you are in the middle of contract negotiations, there are always rumors that come out here and there, he explained. It's like that. I don't know where this comes from... maybe the cancellation of the Imola Grand Prix made the journalists in question bored (Laughter). My team is working hand in hand with Toto behind the scenes, and we are close to an agreement.” 

In the past, Lewis Hamilton has proven that he is not reluctant to leave one team for another without being certain of the future competitiveness of the latter. He did it at the time of McLaren, to engage with Mercedes in 2013, within a brand new manufacturer which had nothing to suggest that it would be so dominant for a decade (2014-2021). But this time the situation is very different when listening to the Englishman. 

A Leclerc-Hamilton duo is not happening right away. © Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

“I'm still in a team capable of fighting for titles, it's just that we don't have the right car, and the choices that have been made over the last two years have not been ideal, he explained. We are working hard to come back. We also have an evolution this weekend, which shows that we are giving ourselves all the means to come back, even if Monaco is not the best track to see it, and that it will undoubtedly be more visible in Barcelona . We’re almost there with Mercedes.” 

Leclerc has not started discussions with Ferrari

Relaunched on the veracity of the contacts with Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton left little room for doubt, responding without ambiguity. "No." Present at his side, Charles Leclerc was also questioned about the possible arrival of Hamilton in the future. “Would I welcome Lewis? If I say yes, I can already imagine the headline in all the newspapers (laughs)… Lewis is an incredible driver, having won so much in Formula 1. Everyone would love to have him as a teammate because everyone would learn from him. But I'm happy where I am and I have a superb relationship with Carlos. A few minutes later, it was Frédéric Vasseur, the team principal of the Maranello team, who also gave his denial. 

Charles Leclerc also explained that no negotiations had yet started with Ferrari for a contract extension, but that he discussed very regularly with John Elkann, the President of Ferrari, about the team's projects. for the future. Never shy of jokes of all kinds and little barbs against his best enemy Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso amused the gallery at a press conference, when he was invited to give the Briton advice on his future. "I don't know. He always says that he and his team win and lose together. If he doesn't win anymore, he should stay, right? Laughter in the room. The Monaco Grand Prix is ​​underway.  

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