Ex-Ferrari F1 chief says he would never have signed Lewis Hamilton alongside Charles Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton is the most successful racer in the history of F1, winning seven world championships - level with Michael Schumacher - but ex-Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto said he didn't agree with the decision to bring the British racer to the team

By: irishmirror.ie

Oct 12 2024
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Ex-Ferrari F1 chief says he wo

Former Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto has admitted he wouldn't have brought Lewis Hamilton to the F1 team if he was still in charge, but insisted the Brit did "very well" to secure the move.

Hamilton's shock switch from Mercedes to Ferrari was confirmed in February, with the British driver set to officially race in the famous red from the 2025 season onwards, following in the footsteps of the legendary Michael Schumacher.

The 39-year-old is the most successful racer in the history of F1, winning seven world championships - level with Schumacher - and holding the record for most wins at 105 and the most pole positions at 104.

However, Binotto - who now runs the Sauber Motorsport team - didn't agree with the decision to snap up Hamilton and pair him with No 1 driver Charles Leclerc, suggesting that the Monegasque driver is "the talent" and that Ferrari should have built the team around him.

When asked if he would have taken Hamilton at Ferrari, he told Corriere dello Sport : "No. But he did very well to go to Ferrari, I agree with his decision."

After being quizzed on the reasons for not taking Hamilton, he added: "Because Ferrari had focused on other drivers. And if the talent is Leclerc, I think he is the one who should be accompanied to the objective in some way."

Leclerc has been the central figure at Ferrari's project in recent years, though Hamilton arriving will take some of the spotlight away from him - with chief Frederic Vasseur tasked with keeping both of his high profile stars happy.

When it was put to Leclerc that Vasseur has a good relationship with Hamilton, the driver dismissed any concerns and said he was looking forward to having the Brit as a team-mate.

Mattia Binotto — Binotto said Hamilton had done "very well" to secure a move to Ferrari

He said: "Ours is a special relationship, if I make a mistake he just looks at me and I know what it means. There are no filters between us. Even if in F1 it is more difficult to be 'straight', Frederic tells me things to my face, he is very good at refocusing me.

"But Fred is not my girlfriend! I knew about the negotiations with Lewis and, for me, having him will be an additional challenge with everything he has won. I am very happy that Hamilton is coming and I can't wait because you can learn from every team-mate."

Speaking recently about the move to bring Hamilton to Ferrari, Vasseur insisted that the deal did not prove as troublesome as some might imagine.

"It wasn't difficult actually," he said. "Ferrari has always been in his thoughts in some ways and now the stars have aligned. But he comes to win, not on holiday. And I'm convinced that we have everything to try."