Lewis Hamilton is set to take his first laps in a Ferrari single-seater on Tuesday or Wednesday during unofficial tests at the Fiorano circuit. This provides an opportunity to delve into the details of the genesis of this “transfer of the century” between the seven-time British world champion and the legendary Italian team, an announcement that took the F1 world by complete surprise almost a year ago.
On that cold morning in February 2024, the news was met with disbelief, excitement, and above all, surprise. Almost a year ago, websites and newspapers were ablaze with this wild news; the fans were too. Those of Mercedes couldn’t believe it; the tifosi dared not to. Lewis Hamilton was leaving for Ferrari.
It was five in the morning and confirmation of this news would have to wait. Only a day. Much less time than the British driver and Fred Vasseur, the French boss of Scuderia, spent to successfully sign this extraordinary transfer away from all eyes.
“I only told my parents on the day of the announcement”
“Honestly, when I think back,” begins the boss of Gestione Sportiva, “I’m still amazed at how we managed to keep it a secret. In our team, until the last moment, there must not have been more than four or five people who knew.” Hamilton echoed this sentiment last year, admitting he made his decision without consulting his loved ones. “I didn’t tell anyone,” he confessed. “I only told my parents on the day of the announcement. No one knew.”
However, to officially announce his arrival on February 1, 2024, a lot of work had to be done. It all started in the spring of 2023 with an informal phone call between John Elkann, the administrator of the Italian manufacturer, and the English champion. A simple conversation, a modest way to break the ice without any ulterior motives… at the time.
This conversation is already shaking up the world of Formula 1, sometimes morphing into a lunch or dinner, depending on the participants. The matter is already making headlines, even if no one believes it and nothing is confirmed. Anything goes to stir up the paddock. Upon his arrival in Baku, Lewis Hamilton crosses paths with Fred Vasseur, who led him to victory in the F3 Euroseries and then in GP2… twenty years ago. The two embrace, laughing. They often do this since the Frenchman’s arrival in F1 (2016), but this time, the photo gives a whole new meaning to the story.
When Vasseur Remembers Hamilton in GP2: “Already a True Leader”
The Genius of Hamilton
“I remember jokingly telling him that we should sit down to discuss the contract,” recalls Fred Vasseur. “But I wasn’t really thinking about it.” Not yet. The idea is, however, taking root. And if, after all, the impossible was possible… A few weeks later, at the Scuderia boss’s birthday, the two men meet again. Alone this time, without witnesses. No more joking around, it’s time to talk. And they find themselves on the same wavelength but not the same tempo.
“I felt that Lewis was interested,” the Frenchman continues. “Unfortunately, I had just extended my drivers and I had no free seats until 2025. He, on the other hand, was in the middle of negotiations to extend with Mercedes.” Everything will be decided during the discussions between the British driver and his other beloved boss, Toto Wolff. In the paddock, they were seen to be lasting, even dragging on. We understand why today. The two years that everyone read in the press release announcing the contract extension, in September 2023, were not really two but one plus a second that the Briton could exercise, at his discretion. Hamilton’s genius lies here: in this door he kept open to leave.
Fred Vasseur, Head of the Ferrari Team
“We both wanted to conclude. But when you’re Hamilton and you have Ferrari in front of you, it’s two heavyweights meeting.”
Free to leave in 2025, the seven-time world champion can now negotiate with Ferrari, the team he was already talking about to his GP2 boss, in a truck at Monza, the day before his 2006 title, when neither of them was yet in F1. Long discussions ensue.
“We both wanted to conclude,” summarizes Vasseur. “But when your name is Hamilton and you have Ferrari in front of you, these are two big machines colliding.” Sponsors clashing, stakeholders fearing the height of the investment, administrative complications. Nothing prevents the two parties from moving forward, especially as three major advertisers joined the Scuderia last year.
Negotiations Away from the Public Eye
“I clearly wanted everything to be finalized before the start of the season,” concludes Vasseur. “And again, Lewis was aligned with me on this idea. He wanted to do it out of respect for Mercedes and Toto” (Wolff). “And I, I wanted to give Carlos Sainz Jr time to find a seat.” Things quickly accelerated in early January. The two men met in London, Paris, or Monaco, even though it was not easy in the Principality where the boss of Mercedes also resides.
So the English driver and the French boss met in private, away from restaurants where a camera or a phone could betray them, early in the morning or late at night.
Everything was set for this announcement on February 1st. Lewis Hamilton went, the day before, to announce the painful news to his boss and friend of ten years. Fred Vasseur then called Toto Wolff, his friend of twenty years, to quickly clarify the situation.
Ferrari Displays Its Ambitions
All that remained was to sign and communicate. When your name is Ferrari, despite the rumors, there are procedures to respect. First, tell the New York Stock Exchange where the manufacturer is listed, then announce it to the employees, and finally make it official to the press.
On this cold evening in February 2024, all of Formula 1’s informants had already been blown away by this crazy rumor that was no longer one, as evidenced by the course of Ferrari on Wall Street (from 318 euros at noon, the brand’s share rose to over 350 at 3:30 pm). Everyone knew what to expect, everyone was just waiting for this official announcement that still left them speechless, even after a day to prepare. The statement was sober, almost cryptic, and was one line long, as if to magnify the news. There was only that and nothing else.
On this cold morning in January 2025, Tuesday or Wednesday, Lewis Hamilton will begin a new chapter, the one that follows this crazy signing for the Scuderia. He will be in Maranello and Fiorano for three days, his very first with Ferrari, his very first in red but that, is another story…
