Mercedes’ Bradley Lord revealed that he thought Lewis Hamilton would be “tempted back to McLaren” rather than moving on to Formula 1 giants Ferrari.
The Team Representative and Chief Communications Officer has been with the Silver Arrows since 2013 working alongside the seven-time World Champion.
He even took over some of the duties vacated by physio Angela Cullen when she left back in 2023.
But the 12-season partnership has come to an end as Hamilton said his goodbyes to the Mercedes team at its headquarters in Brackley in mid-December.
Hamilton will don the red overalls in 2025, a switch not many expected despite the Briton previously mentioning it was a childhood dream of his to race for Ferrari.
However, Lord wasn’t taken aback by the news, instead revealing he had talks in the past with Hamilton about his potential future destination in F1 on the Beyond The Grid podcast.
Asked if he was surprised with Hamilton’s career choice, he said: “Not at all, because I think that’s been his plan all along.
“A few years ago, it came up in conversation,” Lord added.
However, Lord initially thought Hamilton would move back to McLaren, with whom he won his first world title in 2008.
“I actually always thought he might be tempted back to McLaren, but I was completely wrong,” Lord said.
“But yeah, we had a conversation years ago, and he always said that he felt most drivers had a desire to, at least at some point in their career, drive the Ferrari.
“So I wasn’t surprised at all.”
Lord: ‘There is a desire’ to drive for Ferrari in F1
Sebastian Vettel left Red Bull, after winning his four World Championships with the team, for the Prancing Horse in 2015.
In 119 races, Vettel was victorious on 14 occasions for Ferrari and he once famously said “Everyone is a Ferrari fan – even if they say they’re not, they are Ferrari fans.”
Hamilton now follows in the footsteps of his old title rival as Lord added that most drivers would snap up the opportunity to drive for Ferrari.
“I mean, 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,” he said.
“Fernando [Alonso] did it, Seb did it – I think that will always remain.
“I mean, they’re the oldest, most recognisable team in the pit lane, the history and the esteem that that marque is held in, I think it’s inevitable that people would want to go there.”
Hamilton shares the record for most victories at the Italian Grand Prix, five wins alongside the legendary Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher.
But can he add a sixth in front of the adoring Tifosi fans in 2025?
READ MORE: Ferrari not aiming to replicate Mercedes F1 environment with Lewis Hamilton
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