Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has interestingly revealed that he speaks to Lewis Hamilton “every Grand Prix weekend”, despite the fact the British driver reportedly rejected a move to the Italians.
Hamilton is still yet to sign a contract extension with Mercedes, although he’s expected to remain with the Silver Arrows until the end of 2025 at the very least.
Despite the general belief being that the seven-time World Champion will remain where he is, it hasn’t stopped Ferrari chairman John Elkann from approaching the 103-time race winner.
Hamilton has reportedly rejected an offer to join Ferrari, sent to him by Elkann directly.
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This hasn’t stopped Vasseur from talking to the 38-year-old often, though.
“I maintain conversations with him during every Grand Prix weekend,” Vasseur told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.
Most rumours have linked Hamilton to Ferrari instead of Carlos Sainz, with Charles Leclerc having supposedly been offered a new contract.
Vasseur isn’t keen to compare Hamilton to Leclerc or Sainz, although the Frenchman admits that a driver like Hamilton would help Ferrari “beyond the track”.
“Drawing parallels between him and our current drivers lacks coherence,” Vasseur added. “However, a driver of his calibre contributes beyond the track – aiding in technical aspects, strategy, and engineering support.
“In this context, the availability of a Hamilton, a Max Verstappen, even a [Charles] Leclerc, is undeniably advantageous.”
A move to Ferrari is highly unlikely for Hamilton because of how close he is to Mercedes, who he’s had ties to since he was just a child.
As well as that, Mercedes are actually ahead of Ferrari in the pecking order, with the Italians having been very inconsistent so far in 2023.
Whilst Sainz has been very consistent this season, Leclerc has been a bit of a loose cannon, especially in the early stages of the season.
He managed to crash twice at the same corner in Miami, due to pushing too hard.
The Monegasque has since reigned it in and is driving significantly better.
Vasseur admits that there is “room for improvement”, something the team are striving for.
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“As a team and as individual drivers, room for improvement always exists,” the Frenchman said.
“Charles initially pushed beyond expectations this season, but he’s since steered it more adeptly. Carlos’s unwavering consistency sets a significant benchmark for us.”
Vasseur added: “For the team’s sake, a moment of calm reflection before speaking holds value. Speaking impulsively without comprehensive information leads to premature judgments.”