Lewis Hamilton is just weeks away from becoming a Ferrari driver – but the deal may never have gone through if Mattia Binotto was still team principal.
The F1 paddock was rocked earlier this year when it was announced that Hamilton had agreed a multi-year deal to sign for Ferrari and leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season.
The switch ends a career-long partnership between Hamilton and Mercedes, who were the engine supplier for McLaren during his time there.
Speaking when the initial news broke, Hamilton called it a ‘childhood dream’ to drive for Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025REUTERS
“Of course, I think for every driver growing up, watching the history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I think probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up, and you see the driver in the red cockpit and you wonder what it would be like to be surrounded by the red,” he said.
“You go to the Italian Grand Prix and you see the sea of red Ferrari fans and you can only stand in awe of that.
“It’s a team that’s not had huge success recently, since 2007, and I saw it as a huge challenge.
“Without a doubt, even as a kid, I used to play [on games] as Michael in that car, so it definitely is a dream and I’m really, really excited about it.”
However, that dream may not have been made a reality if Binotto was still team principal at Ferrari.
The Italian left his role at the end of the 2022 season with Frederic Vasseur being brought in as his replacement.
Hamilton and Vasseur have worked together previously before both made a name for themselves in F1.
But Binotto has revealed he wouldn’t have made the same decision as his predecessor.
Mattia Binotto left Ferrari at the end of the 2022 season
PA
When asked by Corriera dello Sport whether he would have moved for Hamilton during his time in charge of Ferrari, Binotto replied: “No. But he did very well to go to Ferrari, I agree with his decision.”
The 54-year-old claimed that Charles Leclerc would have been the priority for him at Ferrari and suggested Hamilton’s arrival could hamper his development.”
Ferrari had focused on other drivers,” he said.
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Lewis Hamilton called his move to Ferrari a ‘childhood dream’
REUTERS
“And if the talent is Leclerc, I think he is the one who should be accompanied to the objective in some way.”
Hamilton will be hoping to end his time with Mercedes on a high in the final six races of the season.
He currently sits 19 points ahead of team-mate George Russell heading into the United States Grand Prix this weekend.