Success in Formula 1 is always about having the best driver in the best car. Oftentimes, drivers with championship caliber falter as they languish in a sub-par car. Similarly, teams often don’t get the maximum out of their car when they are tied down with underperforming drivers. But when it all comes together, we get a potent mix like we are seeing with Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Well, 7x champion, Lewis Hamilton is on a similar trajectory now. But is it with Ferrari or Mercedes?

Reliable reports suggest that Hamilton has finally agreed upon a contract extension with the Silver Arrows. That certainly means that the advances made by the Scuderia to lure the Brit into employment at Maranello have thus failed. With a team like Ferrari being snubbed, there surely are going to be a few bruised egos parading Italy. But in the F1 paddock, there is nothing but respect between these two iconic entities.

Frederic Vasseur unfazed by Hamilton snub

The one man who would’ve benefitted massively from Hamilton signing up with the prancing horse would’ve been the under-fire team principal, Frederic Vasseur. Alas, as Hamilton decided to reject this opportunity, Vasseur isn’t the man to hold onto any grudges.

As it turns out, it all comes down to mutual respect and a long-standing alliance the two have shared. Vasseur was quoted as saying to Gazzetta dello Sport, “I talk to him [Lewis Hamilton] at every GP, he raced for me 20 years ago and we are still close. I helped him when he went to McLaren at the beginning of his F1 career and we talk every now and then.”

“Obviously if we are seen together in the paddock, a big fuss is made, but the relationship has remained.”

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While Ferrari may have to actually write the Brit off, is his dismissal going to wreck the team’s future plans?

Ferrari already had a backup option for Lewis Hamilton

Getting Lewis Hamilton signed onto the Ferrari project would’ve been the number 1 priority for the Italian team. However, in hindsight, Vasseur feels better prepared as in the current circumstances he knows he has a Plan B in place.

He continued, “I don’t want to compare him to our drivers, it wouldn’t make sense. But the contribution of a top driver is not just about driving, it’s also technical, about strategy, about helping to hire an engineer. And in this case if you have Hamilton, [Max] Verstappen but also Charles [Leclerc] it’s easier. Those who work in F1 are passionate about racing, they like working with champions.”

Is Charles Leclerc capable of living up to the perceived level of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari?

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