Lewis Hamilton, one of the most successful drivers to hit the sport of F1, will be joining the iconic Scuderia Ferrari in 2025. In what turned out to be a sensational and historic move, Hamilton cut 12-year-long ties with Mercedes to embrace a new challenge for himself at the age of 40.
While Mercedes’ never-ending woes also played its part, Lewis Hamilton’s switch was largely triggered by his unfulfilled childhood dream of driving a red call. That being said, ahead of the driver switch, Lewis Hamilton revealed if he would have certain philanthropic demands from Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton Not To Push For Black Livery At Ferrari
Ferrari’s red livery is deeply embedded in the team’s identity and has been a hallmark of their presence in motorsport since their inception. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton, the impending Ferrari driver, is a vocal advocate of black lives moment. His fight for justice for people of color pushed Mercedes to embrace a black livery back in 2023. However, this year, the Silver Arrows have brought back a combination of black and silver into their livery. That being said, Lewis is set to hop on to Italy in 2025, where red color is mostly predominant. When asked if he would convince John Elkann to embrace a black livery, Lewis emphasized that his commitment to these causes does not extend to changing the iconic red livery of Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton revealed that John Elkann and Ferrari have agreed to be a part of his philanthropic work, including the Mission 44 project. The primary motive is to spread awareness and keep supporting people of color. The color of the livery is irrelevant. “We’ve definitely spoken about impact work, and John and the team have a lot of philanthropy work that they do. So we’ll be working very closely,” the British driver said. However, Hamilton did confess that he misses driving a black car and has always forgotten the look of it even though he drove a black livery car with Mercedes just a year ago. Notably, Scuderia Ferrari has promised 100 million euros in salaries to Lewis as well as a significant investment fund directed just for the driver’s off-track social work. Elkann will be investing in Hamilton’s work from his own private company.
Hamilton Reveals Fred Vasseur’s Role In His Ferrari Move
When Lewis Hamilton announced his bombshell move to Ferrari, fans were quick to deem team principal Fred Vasseur as the mastermind behind the switch. Hamilton recently happen to confirm the speculation. Lewis said Fred is the boss and has immense backing and support from Ferrari owner John Elkann. Additionally, the past relationship also played a role.
Notably, Lewis Hamilton and Fred Vasseur worked closely during GP2 when the seven-time world champion was just a teenager. “With those two together, Fred and John, we worked really closely,” Hamilton said. Indeed, Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has changed the dynamics of Formula 1 and added a new layer of excitement to the upcoming F1 season.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite F1 team