Fred Vasseur on why 'it was a fairly natural decision' for Lewis Hamilton to move to Ferrari

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur recently opined that Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari in 2025 was an organic decision.

Speaking to Carlos Vanzini on Sky, Vasseur stated that the Italian giants were looking for a driver with experience and achievements to his name. The Frenchman claimed that it felt natural for the seven-time World Champion to want to "clse the circle" with Ferrari.

“I think it was a fairly natural move in the end. For our part, it made sense to have a driver with his experience and with such a prestigious list of achievements. I believe he can be a point of reference for the development of the team in the future. He was part of the McLaren family and then of the Mercedes family, but I think he always had in mind the idea that to close the circle, he should come to Maranello,” said Vasseur (via topspeedblog.it)

Vasseur and Hamilton have previously worked together in the ART Grand Prix in Formula 2 (formerly known as GP2). Vasseur was the team principal at the team when Hamilton won his first Formula 2 championship in 2006.

Lewis Hamilton will be racing for Mercedes for the last time in the 2024 F1 season, ending his 12-year-long partnership with the German outfit.

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Lewis Hamilton's emotional message about leaving Mercedes and joining Ferrari

After Lewis Hamilton's move from Mercedes to Ferrari was officially announced, the Briton posted a heartfelt farewell statement on social media. Hamilton wrote that he would be parting ways with the Silver Arrows to start a new chapter in his life with the Italian giants from 2025.

"It’s been a crazy few days which have been filled with a whole range of emotions. But as you all now know, after an incredible 11 years at Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, the time has come for me to start a new chapter in my life and I will be joining Scuderia Ferrari in 2025," he wrote on X.

Hamilton also expressed how fortunate he felt for achieving great success with Mercedes, something that he only dreamed of as a kid. He ended the post by saying that he would now be fulfilling another childhood dream of his, which is to race in a Ferrari.

"I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfill another childhood dream—driving in Ferrari red," he added.

In his 11 years with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton won six of his seven Drivers' World Championships, and helped the team win eight Constructors' World Championships.