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Two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen recently mentioned that it would surprise him if Lewis Hamilton leaves Mercedes to join Ferrari next season.
The seven-time world champion's contract with the German team expires at the end of the 2023 season. There have been several reports circulating in the past months linking the Briton to Ferrari, with some even claiming that the Prancing Horses have offered £40m to Lewis Hamilton to join them and partner Charles Leclerc from next season onwards.
While giving his mid-season analysis for Unibet, Hakkinen said about Hamilton's rumored move to Ferrari:
"Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari would be a surprise to me. I know that Lewis’ mind is no longer 100% focused on the world of racing, and it’s a completely normal evolution. Can money motivate a driver? Certainly, it can be a stimulus, but there are too many risks involved. I believe it is very difficult for Hamilton to move to Ferrari."
Hakkinen stated that with time, the priorities of an F1 driver begin to shift, which could be happening with 38-year-old Lewis Hamilton. He added:
"When you get older, priorities change. It’s not easy to find the strength to compete against younger opponents, and Lewis is experiencing this dynamic firsthand at Mercedes against George Russell. Formula 1 is suddenly no longer the only thing you wake up and get up in the morning for, so we’ll have to see how long Lewis can find the motivation to continue against younger and highly competitive drivers."
Toto Wolff gives his take on Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari rumors
Mercedes team principal claimed that the reports linking Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari were a negotiating tactic, as both he and the F1 icon were clear on the subject.
Speaking with Sky Sports, Wolff said:
"We've had a pact - and we've had that since many, many years - that we wouldn't talk to any other driver before we have taken a decision to stay together or not, so I was never a millimeter in doubt that there were any discussions."
"Someone just placed that (story), maybe to, in a way, to play a role in what seemed to be negotiation, but it is not negotiation, it is sitting at a table and saying, 'what is it we need to adapt to in the contract?' So there's nothing to it. The contract was ready in 2013, we've never really changed a lot of words in there… just the dates and the number of marketing days."
It will be interesting to see if Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes can reach an agreement about a contract extension.
