Ferrari principal Frederic Vasseur has spoken out on his team’s recruitment of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, stating that it was “not difficult at all” to convince him to jump ship from Mercedes.
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Hamilton, who had been affiliated with Mercedes since 2007, will partner star Charles Leclerc in 2025 in place of Carlos Sainz Jnr as Ferrari chase their first Constructors Championship in 17 years.
And while the English F1 stalwart has floated between third and seventh overall at the end of each season since his last title in 2021, the competition’s most successful team ever are thrilled to acquire his services for the years to come.
And in the words of Ferrari boss Vasseur, it was for the most part, a walk in the park.
“In 2023, we won more races than Mercedes … the beginning of the season was good also, so it was not too difficult to convince him that Ferrari would be a good project,” Vasseur told media in Maranello, Italy.
“And I think he had the project to drive for Ferrari in his mind for at least 22 years, or 23 years, because we were discussing about this in 2004.
“It meant that it was not too difficult … the contact was an easy one; we started to discuss one year ago, and it was not difficult to convince him, at all.”
Hamilton’s finish of seventh this season was the lowest in his Formula One career, but it’s by no means a reflection of what he still has left in the fuel tank.
Ferrari’s car in 2024 looked better than that of Mercedes, meaning there’s every chance his fresh start could see him catapulting back up into competition with the likes of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and new teammate Leclerc.
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How Leclerc and Hamilton bond will be nothing short of fascinating, given how successful they have both been across their respective careers; granted they have always shown a noticeable amount of respect for each other.
Leclerc finished third overall in 2024, only 18 points behind McLaren’s Norris in second and is clearly the driver Ferrari hope to showcase for another decade.
Hamilton, who turns 40 next month, may be required to play second fiddle to his new teammate at times — but Vasseur is confident they’ll work together like two peas in a pod for the season opener in Melbourne come 2025.
“Charles-Lewis, I’m not particularly worried about this — they have a huge mutual respect. They know each other, they are speaking about this for months now,” he told Sky Sports.
Hamilton to set to drive the 2025 Ferrari car for the first time in late February during pre-season testing in Bahrain, but will be able to drive older models of their car as soon as the new year.
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