Formula 1: Why Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari makes no sense anyway

By Asher Fair | Jan 21, 2020

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 27: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP and second placed Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 27, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /

Should Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton even consider joining forces for the 2021 Formula 1 season, or are they better suited staying rivals?

With the 2020 Formula 1 driver lineup having been set for quite a while now and with hardly any change from the 2019 season since 18 of 20 drivers stayed, much of the Silly Season focus has already turned to 2021.

As of now, only four drivers are under contract to compete in the 2021 season, and there is potential for quite a lot of driver movement, possibly along the lines of what we saw just last year when only eight drivers stayed put, six switched teams, six joined Formula 1, including four rookies, and six left.

Add in the fact that Liberty Media’s new rules and regulations, which are aimed at making the sport more competitive and notably include new cars and a budget cap that excludes driver salaries, are slated to go into effect ahead of the 2021 season, and the upcoming Silly Season could be even more chaotic.

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One rumor that has already dominated as it pertains to the 2021 season surrounds the most successful all-time team and the two most successful all-time driver among the active 20 competitors.

Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel’s contract with Ferrari is slated to expire at the end of the 2020 season after he signed a three-year extension back in August of 2017, and six-time champion Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes is slated to expire at the end of the 2020 season as well after he signed a two-year extension back in July of 2018.

Several drivers have been linked to Vettel’s seat given his recent decline in performance, and Hamilton is by far the biggest name who has been discussed.

As far as Formula 1 history is concerned, this is the move that everybody wants to see happen. Ferrari are the most successful team in the sport’s history with 16 constructor championships and 15 driver championships, and Hamilton is the only one of the five drivers with four or more driver championships who hasn’t driven for them.

But other than that, there is no reason for this rumored linkage to actually happen.

From Hamilton’s standpoint, he doesn’t need Ferrari. He is slated to enter his 14th season in Formula 1, 14th driving a Mercedes-powered car, and eighth competing for the factory Mercedes team. Mercedes have won the last six constructor and driver championships, and they have shown no signs of slowing down. Why change anything?

Ferrari haven’t won any championship since 2008 when they won the constructor title. A Ferrari driver hasn’t won a world championship since 2007 when Kimi Raikkonen won his lone title.

According to team principal Mattia Binotto, there is still very little chance that Ferrari will be able to challenge Mercedes for at least the next couple of seasons, despite the optimism that tends to exist year in and year out.

If Hamilton leaves for Ferrari after the 2020 season, he would likely do so as a seven-time champion, as he is the favorite to win a fourth consecutive title and sixth in seven years this year.

But would he really be better positioned to break Michael Schumacher’s record with his eighth by joining Ferrari than he would staying at Mercedes?

Yes, the new rules and regulations slated for the 2021 season are set to make the sport more competitive, but even as far as reducing spending is concerned, Mercedes and Ferrari are in similar boats, currently spending $484 million and $463 million, respectively.

From Ferrari’s standpoint, this move may even make less sense. They recently committed to Charles Leclerc as their top driver by signing him to a massive contract extension through the 2024 season.

Why create a situation to alter that, even for only a year or two, with Hamilton?

If there is any team that can’t afford this kind of a headache, it’s Ferrari, as we saw multiple times with Leclerc and Vettel in 2019 alone.

Plus, signing Hamilton would not be cheap. His current salary is comfortably the highest in Formula 1 at $57 million.

With driver salaries being exempt from the new budget cap, Ferrari can save a ton of money by signing somebody else, somebody who would likely not pose an immediate threat to Leclerc winning races and his role as the team’s best chance to finally win another world title.

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Should Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari even consider agreeing to terms on a contract for the 2021 Formula 1 season, or should they go their separate ways and continue on as rivals, as they’ve been throughout Hamilton’s career? While it is not out of question for the future, a deal between the two sides for the 2021 season would simply make no sense.

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