Ferrari wants to lure Hamilton from Mercedes with £40MILLION deal
Several well-placed sources in the UK and Italy confirmed that the Ferrari hierarchy are seriously considering two Hamilton-related scenarios
Ferrari are set to offer Lewis Hamilton the chance to win his dream eighth world championship in their famous red car.
Mail Sport understands the Italian team are willing to break the bank to land the superstar in a £40million deal, and offer him the opportunity to eclipse the Scuderia’s greatest hero, Michael Schumacher, who won five of his seven titles with them.
Conversations over the extravagant signing are not only advancing at the highest level in Ferrari, but company president John Elkann is already in close contact with Hamilton.
The staggering news busts the myth that the British driver, whose Mercedes contract expires at the end of the year, would never budge on his avowed intention to finish his career where he is.
However, Mercedes remain firmly in the 38-year-old’s thoughts and he may yet decide to stay put.
Several well-placed sources in the UK and Italy confirmed that the Ferrari hierarchy are seriously considering two Hamilton-related scenarios.
The first, and favoured option, is to partner the veteran with current No 1 Charles Leclerc from next season.
Leclerc from next season. That would mean shipping out Carlos Sainz to another team, something they would be prepared to do.
The second is to sacrifice Leclerc to sign Hamilton. This would amount to a swap. In this scenario, Hamilton drives alongside Spaniard Sainz at Ferrari, while Leclerc is paired with George Russell at Mercedes.
Mail Sport understands that money will not be a factor in Hamilton’s determination, in that both Mercedes and Ferrari are willing to grant him equally gargantuan sums, pretty much matching his current salary of some £40m, or more if required. Drivers, like top team executives, fall outside the budget cap.
The Hamilton family have long harboured a nagging ambition to see Lewis drive for Ferrari one day. His father, Anthony, confided as much when he was still his son’s manager, not long after Lewis made an unforgettable impression on his debut in 2007.
