Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes ally thought he’d be ‘tempted’ to join 523-podium team over Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton’s stock may not be as high as it was back in 2020 when he sealed his record-equalling seventh world championship. But it was telling that Ferrari were willing to drop Carlos Sainz to bring him in.

Sainz was into the final year of his contract, and in ordinary circumstances, he would have retained his seat. He was a multiple race-winner who could beat Charles Leclerc on his best days and consistently stay close to him.

But these weren’t ordinary circumstances – the sport’s most successful driver had made himself available. Hamilton’s decision was seemingly borne out of a longing for a fresh start, as well as his career-long dream to race for Ferrari.

Mercedes promised Hamilton they’d deliver contending cars in each year of the ground effect era, but they didn’t keep their word. He appeared to lose his faith in the team’s long-term trajectory.

Red Bull had a seat available next to Sergio Perez but pairing Hamilton and Verstappen was borderline unthinkable given the intensity of their 2021 rivalry. And McLaren were committed to both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Joining Ferrari was the only realistic alternative, then. Hamilton has fantasised about Ferrari since 2004, and at the age of 39, both parties were in a place to make it happen.

Lewis Hamilton colleague suspected he’d move to McLaren, not Ferrari, if he left Mercedes

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Mercedes race team co-ordinator Stephen Lord insisted he wasn’t surprised by Hamilton’s Ferrari move. He could see it coming after a conversation ‘a few years ago’.

Hamilton apparently said that every driver understands the allure of the red car. Like great rivals Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, he’s leaving a team where he’s won titles to try and achieve glory at Maranello.

Lord, however, privately envisaged a return to McLaren one day. They’ve just been crowned constructors’ champions after a 26-year wait, but Zak Brown has no interest in changing his line-up at this stage.

“I think that’s been his plan all along [joining Ferrari],” Lord said. “A few years ago, it came up in conversation. I actually always thought he might be tempted back to McLaren, but I was completely wrong.

“He always said that he felt most drivers had a desire to, at some point in their career, drive for Ferrari. I wasn’t surprised at all. We can see through the history of the sport there is a desire amongst great drivers to go to Ferrari and win world championships there.

“Fernando did it, Seb did it. I think that will always remain. They’re the oldest, most recognisable team in the pit lane. The history and the esteem that that market’s held in, I think it’s inevitable that people would want to go there.”

What Lewis Hamilton said about rejoining McLaren when he left in 2012

Hamilton made it to F1 through the McLaren academy and won his first championship with the team in 2008. He would spend a further four seasons with the Woking outfit before his shock move to Mercedes.

Hamilton regretted how he handled his McLaren exit, specifically his reluctance to break the news face-to-face. He made sure he rectified that mistake when he left Mercedes.

However, he still seems to be on good terms with his old colleagues. Hamilton congratulated McLaren on social media after they won the title in Abu Dhabi.

Asked in 2012 whether he’d consider coming back, he said ‘never say never’. McLaren would always be his ‘home’ and a reunion would be ‘nice’, but it now looks highly unlikely.