In opting to swap Mercedes for Ferrari a year into his two-year contract, Fred Vasseur said Lewis Hamilton had to ask himself “where do I have the best chance of winning a world title?”
Hamilton broke the net in February when he announced he would join Ferrari next season after invoking a termination clause in his new extension at Mercedes.
Breaking the news to boss Toto Wolff, Mercedes announced on February 1 that Hamilton would be leaving the team with Ferrari, confirming hours later that the Briton had signed a multi-year contract.
It’s said to be more than $400 million when you factor in all of Mission 44’s salaries, riders, incentives, and investments, and there has been speculation about the actual length of Hamilton’s multi-year deal. Two years? A year with the option of a second?More?
Vasseur has now responded to that with a three-year run. Of course, the 39-year-old needed a certain amount of time to chase his record eighth world title.
“Lewis is a vital symbol because he sends a positive message to the paddock for the long term of the team,” Vasseur told the Financial Times about the signing of the seven-time world champion.
“He had to make a decision: ‘Where do I have the best chance of winning the World Championship in 2025, 26, 27?’ And he answered: “Ferrari. “
“For us, it’s also the most productive way to attract the right people. We have other smart people at Ferrari, but I need them. “
“Most [of the F1 technicians] are at Royaume-Uni. If you move from Mercedes in Brackley to Red Bull in Milton Keynes, you stay in the same school, you stay in the same house. From Friday to Monday, you can change. “
“Coming to Italy is another story. You have to move the family; it is a change of life. Lewis’s move will affect us.
?Adversary to hero, the irreducible Tifosi will have to adapt to the arrival of Lewis Hamilton
?10 sports offers in history: where is Lewis Hamilton’s salary at Ferrari?
But the most important thing that remains to be answered is: will the arrival of Hamilton lead to that of Adrian Newey?
Announcing in May that he would be leaving Red Bull in the first quarter of 2025, Newey received many suggestions to sign up for the Scuderia before Aston Martin came calling.
Although Ferrari has reportedly had a prior deal with the design legend, Newey has made it clear that he will make any decisions until the autumn, or even the winter.
Vasseur, while not addressing Newey’s speculation, believes Ferrari is hornier as a team because it is willing to take risks.
“If you’re afraid of risk-taking, you make margins everywhere,” he says, “and in our business, you can have five cars in a tenth of a second.
“I’ve spent the last 15 months pushing everyone. Because the more threats we face, the better we will be at threat management. I am satisfied with the step forward.
“At Ferrari we don’t have to be afraid of the consequences of what we do. The team, perhaps in the past, was a bit afraid of outside forces.
“But it’s my job to achieve that; Pressure them to be a little more aggressive. And then we have to take responsibility for mistakes when we make them.
Read next: Follow PlanetF1. com’s WhatsApp channel to find out all the latest F1 news!