Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has revealed that his initial conversation with Lewis Hamilton regarding a move to the team took place at the 2023 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.
Hamilton appeared destined to end his illustrious career with Mercedes when it was announced in September 2023 that he had penned a multi-term renewal with the team.
However, that all changed several months later when, prior to the 2024 season even starting, the bombshell news that Hamilton was going to Ferrari grabbed the headlines.
The Italian marque utilised the break clause inserted into Hamilton’s Mercedes deal to entice the seven-time F1 champion, who is partnering Ferrari protege Charles Leclerc.
There had been rumblings that Vasseur was interested in signing Hamilton months into his Ferrari reign, prompting both parties to quash a report about a purported proposal.
That came in the build-up to that season’s Monaco GP, but Vasseur has now divulged how that weekend did see him reach out to the Briton to discover his interest in a move.
“We both started talking about it at the Monaco GP 2023, on May 28, my birthday to be precise,” Vasseur told AutoHebdo. “I quickly realised that it could happen.
“I knew that the desire was there on his side, that it had always been there in fact. It wasn’t possible on our side for 2024, because we had both our drivers under contract.
“Lewis had always had Ferrari in the back of his mind, and I thought the planets were aligning. For me, having Lewis with Charles was one more stone in the edifice.”
Hamilton was ‘shaking’ when Ferrari call came
There had long been rumours connecting Hamilton to Ferrari, but his success with Mercedes ensured his dream to race in red looked consigned to an alternative universe.
But amid the German marque’s competitive decline and Ferrari holding a vacant seat, Vasseur, who knew about the loophole in Hamilton’s deal, opened the door to Ferrari.
Hamilton expressed how he had been resigned to never representing Ferrari until Vasseur contacted him with the call over the winter in 2023 which left him shell-shocked.
“If I’m really honest, I had accepted the fact that I’m probably not going to drive for Ferrari,” he told TIME. “I was OK with that.”
“I remember getting off the phone and, like, almost shaking. I was like, ‘Oh God!’”
“I was like, ‘Holy s**t’. I literally just signed with Mercedes.
“It was a lot to take in, and my emotions were really high So I honestly had to go for a walk My eyes felt really calm and present. This is the right thing for me.”
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