Lewis contacted by President Elkann who already wanted him at the end of 2019. He would form a super-couple with Leclerc: the Monegasque wants to stay
The suggestion is strong and resurfaces like a karst river whenever Lewis Hamilton is close to the expiry of his contract. The juxtaposition between the seven-time world champion and Ferrari has already been felt on several occasions in recent years and is still topical even now. The Daily Mail yesterday he launched the news that the driver would have received an offer from John Elkann, the president of the Maranello team, and that the amount would be in the order of 45 million euros a year. A way to tempt the champion, now close to the last seasons of his incredible career or an indiscretion leaked with suspicious timing just as Hamilton is discussing a renewal with Mercedes, to which he has been linked in F.1 since 2013? Maybe both.
strip and wet hamilton
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The contact would apparently have a foundation of truth, even if there are no confirmations on the figures and someone may have had an interest in the matter leaking out at a delicate moment in the negotiations with Toto Wolff. Who did not hide the criticality of certain details of the contract, while reiterating the belief that Lewis will eventually sign. While Hamilton has often reiterated this year that he wants to stay with Mercedes but he is willing to snatch a two-year renewal at the best economic conditions. The push and pull between Lewis and Toto is not new, friends in life, allies in racing and at the same time very tough negotiators when they sit down at the table. It had already happened in 2019, and even then the shadow of Elkann appeared, who secretly met Hamilton twice to convince him to move to Maranello. In the end, Lewis decided to stay at Mercedes with a last minute deal at the beginning of 2020 and only for the current season.
Hamilton’s conditions
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The current contract, signed in the summer of 2020, provides for a three-year engagement of around 40 million and maximum freedom for Hamilton in the commercial management of his image. A non-secondary factor in the choice, given that Lewis today is a living company with ramifications in fashion and accessories lifestyle and in many other fields of industry. Not to mention his work with the foundation Mission 44, which fights to give more opportunities to those who come from disadvantaged social contexts and is supported, also economically, by many sponsor partners including Mercedes. All elements against the Ferrari hypothesis, because the Prancing Horse is not engaged in similar activities and usually manages the image rights of the drivers with corporate logic.
hamilton e leclerc
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So why would the redhead seek Hamilton and why could Hamilton be tempted by the redhead? The answers to the first question are many. Lewis’s signing could revive the tradition of the world champions who landed in Maranello and divert attention from the unhappy historical moment of the red in terms of results in F1. Furthermore, there would be a strategic reason linked to the fact that Ferrari is negotiating the renewal of the contract with Charles Leclerc, expiring at the end of 2024. Discussions are currently underway. stand by, because the car’s performance doesn’t convince the Monegasque from a future perspective, and the fact that the team has been looking for Hamilton could put pressure on him. At the same time, Ferrari must protect itself in case Charles decides not to go beyond the deadline, by signing a super driver. And who better than Hamilton? The seven-time world champion, if he arrived, would join Leclerc in 2024, taking the place of Carlos Sainz, who should find another seat (Mercedes? Sauber-Audi?). In fact, Leclerc intends to respect the current contract and is considered immovable by Elkann, who promised him a long-term renewal with the prospect of being the team’s leader on the track, while confidence in the Spaniard is lower. The fact that both Ferrari drivers still have a year of contract complicates the Hamilton operation. But Ferrari can’t wait, as Lewis, 38, is in the final seasons of his career. Certainly, having a teammate like Hamilton next to him would be a stimulus and at the same time a destabilizing element for Leclerc, considering the difference in economic treatment they would have (the Monegasque earns around 20 million a year).
Hamilton’s Challenge
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Putting himself instead in Hamilton’s shoes, why should he accept Ferrari’s offer? For one reason only: the power of attraction that the red has always exerted on every rider. Someone who has won the most in F1, behind the wheel of McLaren and Mercedes, might want to come full circle by racing for Ferrari. There is no prospect of winning at the moment, without a Red Bull. So it would make little difference to embark on an impossible challenge just for the desire to experience new emotions. Of course, one would have to leave an environment, that of Brackley, which Lewis knows as his home, with engineers such as James Allison whom he deeply admires, to immerse himself in a completely different and unrelated context to Ferrari, where now one does not breathe a beautiful air. It will happen? Unlikely. And Mercedes, in any case, could count on a well-established George Russell for the future. But in the meantime Elkann has made his move, after having chased Red Bull’s top engineers in vain, starting with technical director Pierre Waché, who he contacted personally. These rumors about Hamilton and the red can electrify a world championship drugged by the overwhelming power of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez over the blue cars. However, beyond the dreams of the fans, not even the best Lewis at the moment would be enough to make Ferrari win. Miracles in F1 do not exist.
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2023-05-23 08:04:23
#Hamilton #Ferrari #money #deal #difficult
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