- Lewis Hamilton is about to move to Ferrari
- The Brit will fulfill his ambition to represent the Prancing Horse
- Hamilton is close to Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur
Should Lewis Hamilton's groundbreaking move to Ferrari come to fruition, it would be a reunion between the Brit and his former mentor that has been hoped for for 20 years.
The Formula One world was thrown into turmoil on Thursday after reports emerged that Hamilton was close to joining The Prancing Horse from Mercedes.
Mail Sport's Jonathan McEvoy believes the seven-time world champion has indeed secured a seat at the Scuderia, as early as the 2025 season.
He currently earns £50m a year at Mercedes, where he has won six of his seven world championships and has previously expressed his desire to remain in the sport for the rest of his time.
But that is set to change with a move that would breathe new life into Formula 1.
Lewis Hamilton could be reunited with his close friend and mentor Fred Vasseur
The Frenchman helped Hamilton get his chance in Formula 1 20 years ago
Opinion poll
Should Lewis Hamilton move to Ferrari?
- Yes, 1754 votes
- No 861 votes
And one man certainly had a big influence on luring Hamilton to Ferrari: Fred Vasseur.
The new Ferrari team boss has a special bond with Hamilton, so it's no surprise that the Brit would like to work with the Frenchman again.
Hamilton won Formula 3 and GP2 (now Formula 2) championships in 2005 and 2006 with Vasseur's ART team before making a spectacular Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2007.
“I speak to him at every GP, he drove for me 20 years ago and we are still close,” Vasseur, who joined Ferrari in January 2023, told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport last season.
“Of course there is a lot of excitement when they (the media) see us together in the paddock, but the relationship has remained.”
“I don’t want to compare him to our drivers, that wouldn’t make any sense.”
However, it appears Ferrari will recruit Hamilton instead of Carlos Sainz as the Spaniard's contract negotiations stalled in December.
They talk regularly, with Vasseur admitting they chat almost every week
Hamilton could compete alongside Charles Leclerc (left) for the 2025 season
Formula 1 expert Will Buxton reflected on Hamilton's special relationship with Vasseur following Thursday's bombshell news.
“It would be something very nice if Lewis worked with Fred again at Ferrari,” he said.
“He was responsible for creating the power of the young sensation that shocked the establishment 20 years ago.”
“A last dance to make history together would be poetic and truly special.”
Before his last appearance in Maranello, Vasseur had already worked as a team boss at Renault and Sauber.