REVEALED: F1 star Lewis Hamilton opens up on speculation he could have left Mercedes for rivals Ferrari insisting that he ‘never’ received a contract offer from the Italian team

Lewis Hamilton has speculated he was close to a shock move from Mercedes to Formula 1 rival Ferrari, claiming he ‘never’ received an offer from the Italian team.

Rumors circulated last summer that the seven-time F1 world champion was about to move to Ferrari, but the move never materialized. The 38-year-old put pen to paper on a new two-year contract with his team. current team.

And speaking about the speculation surrounding the possible move to join Ferrari, Hamilton told Swiss Outlet: Lookthat the Italian team did not actually offer him a contract.

When asked if Ferrari had offered him a deal, he said: ‘Never.

“Okay, we’ve definitely had a few irrelevant conversations. I know a lot of good people there. But I never felt ready to move to Italy.”

This summer, speculation swirled that Mercedes was linked with a move to Ferrari

Some reports claimed that Ferrari had even submitted a £40 million bid for the British driver

Hamilton also gave an insight into the contractual negotiations between his current team after signing a new deal with Mercedes, which will see him become the joint top earner in F1 alongside Max Verstappen with a deal worth £50 million per year.

“This is not the first time we have spent hours discussing and negotiating details,” he added.

‘Always under the motto: From Thursday to Sunday I belong exclusively to Formula 1.

Earlier this summer, reports claimed that Ferrari was preparing to make a £40 million bid for Hamilton, with many wondering whether the Briton would make the move from the Silver Arrows given he has been with the team since 2013.

Hamilton has also spoken out about his displeasure with the design of the Mercedes car this season, further adding to speculation that he could have been on the brink of an exit.

Others wondered whether the Mercedes driver would retire, but the British driver, who has 196 podium finishes from 326 races, admitted teammate George Russell had kept him hungry to keep racing.

When challenged about previous claims that he would retire at 40, Hamilton said: “I must admit that I underestimated my love for this sport.

But Hamilton (pictured) signed a two-year contract to stay at Mercedes, making him the highest-paid driver in F1 along with Max Verstappen.

Questions have also been raised about whether Hamilton would retire, but he has said his teammate George Russell (right) gave him ‘motivation’ to keep racing.

‘But it has become a love-hate story. There are days when I’d rather not get into the cockpit.

‘But then the duels with my teammate (Russell) give me motivation. You always have to be wide awake.’

The Mercedes driver finished fifth in Japan last week, while his last podium finish came the week before; securing third place at the Singapore Grand Prix.

He has yet to win a race this season, despite finishing second in Spain and Australia. His last victory came in December 2021 in Saudi Arabia.