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Lewis Hamilton Slapped With Harsh Reality Check as Ferrari’s $49,000,000 Stroke of Genius Gets Backed by Hard Hitting Argument: “Last Chance to Do It”

Published 05/23/2023, 6:30 AM EDT

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via Reuters

At 38, Lewis Hamilton is as fit as ever. Clearly, the man has no intention of stopping anytime soon. However, his age precisely is an indicator that he is in the twilight of his F1 career. The Briton still has some unfinished business to tend to, though. That is winning the never done before 8th world championship title. But is Mercedes the team who can deliver it to him? Going by their current form, it seems highly unlikely. Is Ferrari really the answer to his woes? Is it a risk worth taking?

Ever since his agonizing loss in Abu Dhabi in 2021, Mercedes has failed to turn up for the competition. Last year, they struggled with the proposing issues since the advent of the ground-effect regulations. Currently, they do not possess enough pace to match the top dogs.

Ferrari has been dubbed the best destination for Lewis Hamilton

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Meanwhile, Hamilton is in his final year of contract with Mercedes. Toto Wolff recently talked about how his friendship with Hamilton is becoming a roadblock for the negotiations. That is because the Austrian manager feels uncomfortable talking about money with his friend. But is it really the reason behind it? Or is the $49 million offer from Maranello too irresistible to put away for the former champion?

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La Stampa’s Stefano Mancini recently wrote, “Why change team? Simple: because it is the last chance to do it. Hamilton will turn 39 in 2024 and, although he feels at the top of his form, he will be able to guarantee maximum performance for a couple of seasons. It is the argument that they should use in Maranello: rather than risk losing with Mercedes, which also gave him six of the seven titles won, better try to win with Ferrari.” [Translated using Google]

There is one big difficulty in making Lewis Hamilton move to Ferrari, though. That involves the duration of the contracts of their existing driver duo.

Who will make way for Hamilton at Ferrari- Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz?

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Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes is due to expire at the end of this year. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz‘s, however, at Ferrari runs until the end of the 2024 season. If the move for the Briton is to finalize, the Italian giants will have to prematurely terminate the contract of one of the two.

via Reuters

Mancini continues, “The contract problem needs to be resolved: Lewis is about to expire, while the Ferrari couple are still tied for one year. Leclerc hasn’t had any offers from Germany ‘for now’. He let himself escape to Azerbaijan. It is fascinating to think of a driver swap between Mercedes-Ferrari. If, on the other hand, Sainz were to move elsewhere, it would be fun to see the coexistence between a young driver, with enormous talent and ambition, and a legend.”

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Sainz arrived at Ferrari in 2021 and quickly adapted to the car to finish ahead of Leclerc on points. However, since then, the Monegasque has had a clear upper hand over his teammate. In the current season, Sainz stands ahead of Leclerc with a difference of 10 points. However, Leclerc has a podium finish to his name.

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Written by:

Nischay Rathore

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Nischay Rathore is a senior Formula 1 writer at EssentiallySports with an impressive portfolio of over 850 published articles. With a keen eye for sports and a passion for Formula 1, soccer, and tennis Nischay has embarked on a journey in sports journalism. As a long-time Formula 1 fan, Nischay enjoys reflecting on races from the sport’s past.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare