Lewis Hamilton opened up about his move to Ferrari Formula 1 team in 2025. He credits Fred Vasseur, Ferrari team principal, presence on the team which enabled him to make his mind for the team switch.
Hamilton won the European title while driving for Vasseur ASM F3 team in 2005. In 2006, the British driver graduated to GP2 with rebranded ART GP outfit. He won the GP2 and made his way to McLaren Formula 1 team.
Considering their relationship, when Vasseur joined Ferrari at the start of 2023 the speculations made to market regarding a possible switch. It is evident that what happens as the Vasseur utilized his past to gain trust of the seven times world champion.
“I’ve got a great relationship with Fred,” said Hamilton
“Obviously I raced with him in F2 and we had amazing success in F3, and also in GP2. That’s really where the foundation of our relationship started. We always remained in touch.
“I thought that was going to be an amazing team manager at some stage and progress to F1, but at the time, he wasn’t interested in that.
“It was really cool to see him step into the Alfa team. Then when he got the job at Ferrari, I was just so happy for him.
“I think just the stars aligned, I think it really wouldn’t have happened without him. So I’m really grateful and really excited about the work that he’s doing there.”
Hamilton insisted that he had no intention of leaving Mercedes in August. He signed to show his commitment with the team for further two years. However, when the opportunity knocked the door in winter he decided to take it.
“Obviously in the summer I signed, and obviously, at that time, I saw my future with Mercedes,” he said. “But an opportunity came up at the end of the year, and I decided to take it.
“I feel like it was obviously the hardest decision I think I’ve ever had to make. I’ve been with Mercedes, I think it’s like 26 years they’ve supported me, and we’ve had an absolutely incredible journey together.
“We’ve created history within the sport, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in, and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved. But I think ultimately, I’m writing my story. And I felt like it was time to start a new chapter.”
