Lewis Hamilton’s future has been subject to plenty of speculation in recent weeks. The seven-time world champion is still on Mercedes’ books, but he is yet to sign a contract extension with the team amidst its recent struggles.
Ferrari was Hamilton’s favourite team growing up and it is not the first time that he is being linked with a full-time role at the Maranello.
While rumours suggest that a $50 million offer is soon going to be tabled for Hamilton by Ferrari, Sky Sports journalist Ted Kravitz believes it will take far more for Hamilton to accept the deal.
According to Kravitz, Hamilton already earns more than this amount at Mercedes and it would make no sense for him to join another team given his standing at the Silver Arrows.
Kravitz believes he has a fair idea about the sort of monetary compensation Hamilton would need for him to switch allegiances to Ferrari.
“Firstly, I think the £40 Million ($50 Million) offer is a bit of a low-ball offer for Lewis Hamilton,” he said.
“It’s probably £5 Million ($7 Million) less than what he’s on at the moment and is something Mercedes are going to offer.
“If it was £80 Million ($100 Million) that John Elkann had said then that would get people’s attention.”
While it may seem like conjecture on his part, but Kravitz is right in believing that Ferrari is the wealthiest team on the grid and they are perhaps the only team that can actually offer Hamilton such terms.
With its driver pairing of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failing to hit their straps yet again this season, if Ferrari does indeed want to recruit a proven winner to its team, it could potentially try to lure Hamilton with better terms.
All said and done, Kravitz still believes that the likeliest outcome is Hamilton signing an extension with Mercedes.
However, he may be delaying the entire deal hoping to get a better pay package from his current employers.
With his struggles on the track starting in the 2022 season where he failed to win a single race in the campaign, Red Bull technical advisor Helmut Marko has opened up on why Hamilton might be seeking opportunities away from Mercedes.
Italy’s @Gazzetta_it reporting Lewis Hamilton has received an offer to join Ferrari in 2024, after the Mail said today the team were preparing one. Gazzetta emphasising the road blocks. Hamilton has consistently emphasised his desire to stay with Mercedes for life pic.twitter.com/FYWQvqkMWi
— Andrew Benson (@andrewbensonf1) May 22, 2023
“There are two things that bother Hamilton,” Marko said.
“Firstly, he is no longer the world champion, and it will be difficult for him to be the world champion again.
“He knows there is no place for him at Red Bull.
“And whether Ferrari will be better for him in sporting terms than Mercedes is not set in stone.
“In addition, Lewis is not happy because he is no longer the highest-earning driver in Formula 1. This is Max Verstappen now. At least that could change with Ferrari’s help.”
Hamilton, now 38, is well and truly in the twilight of his career.
His next move could very well be his last chance of fighting for an eighth world championship.
Do you think he should make a switch from Mercedes to Ferrari? Let us know in the comments.
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