Ferrari are set to offer Lewis Hamilton £40MILLION deal to race in red next season

Ferrari will offer Lewis Hamilton the chance to win his dream eighth world championship in their famous red car.

Mail Sport understands the Italian team are willing to break the bank to get the superstar in a £40 million deal and offer him the chance to win the Scuderia’s greatest hero, Michael Schumacher, who won five of his seven titles with them. won, to overshadow.

Talks about the extravagant signing are not only progressing at the highest level at Ferrari, but company president John Elkann is already in close contact with Hamilton.

The shocking news shatters the myth that the British driver, whose contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the year, would never give in to his stated intention to end his career where he is today.

However, Mercedes remains firmly in the 38-year-old’s mind and he could still decide to stay.

Ferrari, as an iconic constructor, would appeal to Hamilton and talks are ongoing

Several well-placed sources in the UK and Italy confirmed that the Ferrari hierarchy is seriously considering two Hamilton-related scenarios.

The first and favorite option is to team the veteran with current number 1 Charles Leclerc from next season.

Leclerc from next season. That would mean sending Carlos Sainz to another team, something they would be willing to do.

The second is to sacrifice Leclerc to sign Hamilton. This would amount to a trade. In this scenario, Hamilton is driving alongside Spaniard Sainz at Ferrari, while Leclerc is paired with George Russell at Mercedes.

Mail Sport understands that money will not be a factor in Hamilton’s determination, in that both Mercedes and Ferrari are prepared to award him similarly gigantic sums, pretty much equivalent to his current salary of around £40m, or more if necessary . Drivers, like top team managers, fall outside the budget ceiling.

The Hamilton family has long harbored a nagging ambition to see Lewis drive for Ferrari one day. His father, Anthony, confided that while he was still his son’s manager, not long after Lewis made an unforgettable impression on his debut in 2007.

Hamilton may also be influenced by the knowledge that his hero, Ayrton Senna, would drive for Ferrari in 1995, but due to his death at Imola the previous year.

In reality, Hamilton’s future direction probably boils down to this simple equation: At 38, he doesn’t have too much left to go, and he needs to drive the car that will likely take him to an eighth world title in the next few years . seasons.

A determining factor may be the success, or not, of the Mercedes upgrades due at next weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix – a new floor, front suspension and sidepod – which are an attempt to address their Red Bull shortfall that persists the rules have been introduced since drastic new ones last year. Should the adjustments prove to be a resounding success, Hamilton’s mood would undoubtedly be positive.

Ferrari hierarchy plans to link Hamilton to current No. 1 Charles Leclerc should the Briton make the switch

Mercedes have only achieved one podium finish this season, with Hamilton second in Melbourne in April

However, should the upgrade backfire, the failure could speed up a move, not least because the once super-dominant team from Brackley have sent key personnel in recent years and aren’t quite the force they used to be.

History suggests that Hamilton is not averse to making a hard and bold decision when the opportunity arises, as he proved by moving from McLaren, the team that nurtured him, to Mercedes in 2013 to create the most successful team-driver alliance in Grand Prix history. prix racing.

Red Bull, reigning supreme for now, is a closed shop – attractive as the prospect of Hamilton versus Max Verstappen may be to Formula 1 marketers. Verstappen is a top player there, and everyone knows it.

The Dutchman is only 25, in the shape of his life, and has a contract until 2028. No one wants to destabilize him internally for short-term attraction. Nor, Mail Sport understands, do they necessarily want to master the showbiz whirl that comes packaged in Hamilton’s mega star package.

Hamilton could move based on which team can give him the best chance of usurping Red Bull star Max Verstappen at the top of the drivers’ standings

Aston Martin, the second best team at the moment, can be considered Hamilton’s only other possible route.

However, the Silverstone challengers are well served by Fernando Alonso, a 41-year-old Peter Pan and one of the greats himself, and Lance, owner Lawrence Stroll’s son, who is hardly vulnerable to the sacking for obvious reasons. Lance also holds his own.

Hamilton would bring stardust to Ferrari, injured for not having won a driver’s title since 2007.

But he will have to be convinced that the most celebrated brand in racing offers him a reliable shot at an eighth wonder of the world after so many hiccups and near misses of his own.