Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Yas Marina, 2019

Hamilton grateful for ‘first ever compliment from Ferrari’

2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton described Mattia Binotto’s comments about him yesterday as the first time he’s been complimented by Ferrari in his F1 career.

Binotto was asked whether he would be interested in signing Hamilton when his Mercedes contract expires at the end of the 2020 F1 season. The Ferrari team principal said “knowing that he’s available in 2021 can make us only happy”.

Asked for his reaction, Hamilton said: “I think that’s the first compliment I’ve had from Ferrari in these 13 years.”

“I honestly don’t remember them ever mentioning me ever,” he added. “So thank you and I’ll take it. It doesn’t really mean anything, it’s all talk, but it’s nice that finally, it’s taken all these years for them to recognise me, but I’m grateful.”

Hamilton said Ferrari is “a team that I’ve always appreciated over the years, so to earn their respect from someone from there, that’s obviously very high up, is not a bad thing.”

However he downplayed suggestions he could seek a place at the team in 2021.

“I think they’ve got two great drivers as it is,” he said. “Who knows what the driving market’s going to be doing over the next year.

“But if I’m really honest I’m not really focussed on that right this second. I’m trying to make sure I finish off strong. I’ve got this incredible group of people behind me where I am and I feel like I just continue to owe it to them to give my heart to them and my energy, 100 percent, to them. Particularly as I’m still in contract and negotiations haven’t started yet.”

He is preparing to begin talks with Mercedes on his future with the team, if they choose to remain in F1 beyond 2020.

“I honestly don’t know how the next phase of the month is going to go when it comes to contracts,” said Hamilton. “It’s very odd that you have to do it almost a year before it ends and it can’t be done kind of toward the end. But that’s just the way it goes. But we shall see.”

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27 comments on “Hamilton grateful for ‘first ever compliment from Ferrari’”

  1. Hamilton probably wants to drive a Ferrari, but I doubt he’d be happy there. At Mercedes he clearly makes the difference and can actually help improve the team all the time (both car and strategy). Ferrari seems to have the principle that the driver should just race their car.

    1. Ferrari is bigger then the driver.. Lewis is bigger then Mercedes.
      That will not fit.

    2. HAM the master strategist 😂😂😂😂🤣😅😆😂😉

  2. He should wait for the moment he gets really fed up with F1 to give it a try there. It may renew his interest, in case it works out, or make him retire for good in case it doesn’t.

    1. Ferrari seems like a quite stiff team to drive for, so I doubt it’s a good team to go if you want to rekindle your interest after winning everything there is to win, but maybe, just to cross that of your bucket list. But I’d imagine he’d try out other series instead if Formula One doesn’t tickle his interest-bone anymore. Le Mans, maybe?

      1. Oddly for such an accomplished driver I’ve never heard him talk about le mans or Indy and he doesn’t pop up at Bathurst or whatever for guest drives. I sense his interests beyond f1 are not racing related.

        1. Well not on four wheels…

      2. @davew That’s a good point, I’ve never really heard him talk much about other racing car series (that I remember), but @budchekov also makes another good point, motorcycles could be a challenge that he wants to have a go at.

        1. Lewis does have a relationship with MV Agusta, who just happen to have a Moto2 team, (powered by a Triumph triple..go figure) which would be an excellent class for him to assess things….. I’ve always thought John Surtees had the real deal double.

  3. I just hope that Lewis can get his 7th title and dare I say plus one. That achieved he can then politely decline any offer from Ferrari. In response to them taking thirteen good years to pay him a compliment and not wanting to snap him up when he was looking for a drive. They know why both these things happened (or didn’t happen) and they can now regret it and accept that their reasoning was just plain wrong!

  4. Binotto probably saw the last inopportune error from Vettel he needed to tell management to open the checkbook for Hamilton.

    1. It’s going to be tough choosing between Hamilton and Verstappen.

      1. Yes. But I would say they already have their driver of the future. They need someone to deliver a title guaranteed the next year the car is capable.

        1. Yes. When Vettel leaves they need another young charger, and Verstappen and Hamilton won’t fit the bill. No Italian talent good enough is on the horizon so it might have to be an Albon or Russell if he could or want to get away from Mercedes.

          Or someone unthought of at the moment.

          1. IF VET leaves…
            I think LEC will take over as No. 1 next year but that doesn’t mean VET has to leave.
            If he does leave, I suspect they will bring in a seasoned, mild mannered driver such as BOT who has said he would like to drive for Red.
            Last thing Red wants is a continued toxic environment.

        2. Agree.
          A Ferrari bluff I suppose to give Wolff something to stress over. Would Red want another LEC and VET toxic environment and it would be? Doubt it.
          I don’t think HAM would want to risk going to Red and losing head to head with LeClerc. If HAM does jump ship and loses in the same car (and it’s not far fetched to think it could happen), it would tarnish his image as one of the greats although it would benefit LEC.
          BOT on the other hand is a good teammate and chances of him beating HAM are far fetched at best.
          I think HAM will finish out with Merc.

          1. The Skeptic (@)
            1st December 2019, 4:22

            You misread Hamilton. He loves a contest, and would relish the chance to take on Leclerc or Verstappen head to head.

            My bet for Ferrari: Ricciardo.

      2. @drycrust
        Will it really be? In 2021 Verstappen will be 23, Hamilton 36.

  5. He knows very well Senna wanted to end his career at Ferrari. He’s going there in 2021 absolutely no doubt in my mind.

    1. @john-h, that is a very good point!

  6. Lewis probably wants to go to Ferrari and win a championship for them, their first in ages. That would be the perfect ending for his incredible career, but somehow I doubt it will ever happen (either Ferrari signing him or, if that happens, getting a car good enough to win the WDC).

  7. You wonder if there is anything behind the comments from Binotto, besides straight recognition that Hamilton has been a worthy champion over several years. Stirring the pot with Toto right beside him would’ve been interesting.

    You have to think that part of the attraction of getting Hamilton to come to Maranello is not just that he’ll be driving for Ferrari, its that he won’t be driving for their main competitors. They can invest millions into developing their car next year, but maybe the only way to achieve success is to destabilise the team that’s been bulletproof for years on end. Stealing key people, be it drivers or engineers, is surely one of the best ways to do that.

  8. I bet Hamilton’s rubbing his hands together at that bargaining chip Binotto just gave him in those contract negotiations. I don’t see Hamilton going anywhere though

  9. Lol vettel must be like ahemmm 4x championships remember me!

    1. Haha yeah and Fwrrari are probably telling him ‘don’t get in a spin over it’ 😁

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