Lewis Hamilton has confessed he’s never been “ready” to entertain an offer from Formula 1’s most storied team – Ferrari.
Amidst the lingering talks regarding his renewed two-year commitment with Mercedes, murmurs about Ferrari showing interest circulated.
“Not really,” was the response from the 38-year-old when probed about contemplating such a shift.
When quizzed about any formal approach, Hamilton responded: “Never.
“Ok, we’ve definitely had a few irrelevant conversations. I know a lot of good people there. But I’ve never felt ready to move to Italy,” he shared with Blick newspaper.
Nonetheless, veteran journalist Roger Benoit jogged Hamilton’s memory about a past declaration where he mentioned exiting Formula 1 well before hitting 40.
“I have to admit that I underestimated my love for this sport,” the British racer said. “But it’s become a love-hate story.
“There are days when I would prefer not to get into the cockpit. But then the duels with my teammate (George Russell) give me motivation.
“You always have to be wide awake.”
Further, Hamilton candidly expressed his feelings about his recent ‘ground effect’ era qualifiers in 2022 and 2023, stating they’ve been “sh*t”.
“I try to push myself to the limit in every race and believe in my team,” he confided to Benoit. “But it’s true. If you don’t feel the balance in the car, your willingness to take risks becomes smaller.”
Now, his eyes are set on securing a more competitive vehicle for 2024 to square off against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
When probed about his 2021 adversary, Hamilton stated: “What do you want to hear? All I can say to him is keep doing what you’re doing.
“Because Max is currently doing an extraordinary job at Red Bull.”
Yet, Hamilton is keeping the door open to possibly extending his Formula 1 journey beyond the expiration of his latest contract in 2025.
“I never said my eighth title would be the end for me,” he reflected. “But I’ll only know that when I actually get there.
“Without a great car you can’t achieve the big goals in Formula 1. No one can.”
