Last February, Lewis had announced that he was leaving the Mercedes team to join Ferrari in 2025. This news surprised many fans in the world of motorsport. Until now, he had not communicated about the duration of his contract, even though he had stated that he was committed for several years.
According to the information provided by Fred Vasseur, it would finally be a 3-year contract that the seven-time world champion has turned to. An important decision for Hamilton who had to assess his options to maximize his chances of winning the world championship in the coming years. « He had to make a choice: ‘Where do I have the greatest chance of winning the world championship in 2025, ’26, ’27?’ And he said, ‘Ferrari’ » reported Fred Vasseur.
This decision comes after several years of speculation about a possible departure from Mercedes, but Hamilton had always chosen to remain loyal to the German team, until today. It remains to be seen whether this choice will prove to be the right one.
Exemplary skills
During its decision-making process last year, Mercedes was going through periods of poor performance with its car. In contrast, Ferrari was showing signs of impressive progress. Now, Mercedes seems to have caught up, which could complicate Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari.
Beyond a well-executed strategy for the British driver, the arrival of a great champion in the team is also a good way for Ferrari to attract new people. For us, it is also the best way to attract good people. We have good people at Ferrari, but I want to strengthen our team, explained Fred Vasseur.
The presence of a renowned driver like Hamilton in Maranello convinces talented engineers, especially those based in the United Kingdom, to join Ferrari despite a location very different from the English plains. “If you move from Mercedes in Brackley to Red Bull in Milton Keynes, you keep the kids in the same school, you keep the same house. From Friday to Monday, you can change. Coming to Italy is a different story. You have to move the family – it’s a life change. Lewis’ move will help,” Fred Vasseur added.
Frédéric Vasseur is also working on changing Ferrari’s internal culture, tackling the blame culture that has often penalized the team. “If you are afraid to take risks, you take margins everywhere and, in our profession, you can have five cars within a tenth of a second. I have spent the last 15 months pushing everyone because the more risks we take, the better we will be at risk management,” says the Ferrari team principal. He remains convinced that this new approach will help Ferrari be more competitive. “I am really satisfied with the progress made. At Ferrari, we must not be afraid of the consequences of what we do. The team, perhaps in the past, was a little afraid of external forces. But it is my job to manage this – to push them to be a little more aggressive. And then to take control of the errors when we make them.”
With the arrival of Lewis Hamilton and Frédéric Vasseur’s efforts to improve the car and the team’s relationship, Ferrari hopes to regain their abilities and become a serious contender for the driver’s world championship title again. A dream that seems difficult to achieve given Ferrari’s performances in the last Grand Prix.
