In a significant move, Lewis Hamilton is set to join forces with Fred Vasseur at Ferrari, reigniting a successful past partnership.
It was under the French Scuderia boss that Lewis Hamilton raced in F3 in 2005, with team ASM (a victorious year, of course). And it was again with Fred Vasseur that the following year, Lewis Hamilton won the F2 championship, this time with ART.
In essence, Lewis Hamilton will be making a return to his roots by reuniting with Fred Vasseur at Maranello in 2025.
Naturally, the question arises: if Fred Vasseur hadn’t been at the helm of the Scuderia, would Lewis Hamilton have said ‘yes’ to a surprise transfer to Ferrari?
When asked about this, Lewis Hamilton was candid: if Mattia Binotto was still the boss at Maranello, this transfer might not have materialized.
“I have an excellent relationship with Fred.”
“I obviously raced with him in F2 and we had a lot of success in F3, as well as in GP2. That’s really where our relationship began. We’ve always stayed in touch. I thought he would one day become a great team director and move up to F1, but at the time, he wasn’t interested.”
“It was really cool to see him move to Alfa Romeo. When he got the position at Ferrari, I was very happy for him.”
“I think the stars aligned and it wouldn’t have happened without him. So, I’m very grateful and very excited about the work he’s doing there.”
For Lewis Hamilton, joining Ferrari was a “childhood dream,” he shares.
However, he is still entirely unfamiliar with the Ferrari universe. He has never even been to Maranello, to the factory.
“I’ve never been there.”
“I bought my first Ferrari in 2010, I think, as a gift to myself. I don’t have it anymore. But I didn’t have the opportunity to visit Maranello at that time. Since I was with Mercedes, I didn’t think it was a good idea to go…”
Diversity Programs: Hamilton to continue at Ferrari
To attract Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari would have thus promised to deploy substantial resources to launch programs dedicated to equality.
At Mercedes, Lewis was indeed very committed to the inclusion of diversity in the team, notably through science mentorship programs. A legacy that will continue at Brackley.
“I am extremely proud of the work we’ve done at Mercedes…”
“Since 2020, we’ve made significant strides in improving diversity within the team.”
“For example, within human resources, we have a group dedicated to diversity, and this will continue beyond me, which I am really proud of. I am proud of the team for pushing so far.”
“I think we are ahead of all the other teams – in this regard and there’s still a lot of work to be done across the sport.”
“I’m constantly speaking to Stefano Domenicali and looking to work more with Formula 1 and of course, at Ferrari, they have a lot of work to do as well. So I’ve already made it a priority in talks with John [Elkann] – and they’re super excited to start and work on it too.”
Hamilton to Ferrari Without Vasseur? The Big Question. Hamilton to Ferrari Without Vasseur? The Big Question
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