Lewis Hamilton says he is only proud of what he and Mercedes have accomplished in Formula One, despite Ferrari’s lengthy interest in signing him.
In an interview earlier this week, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who used to be the team leader at Ferrari, stated that the Italian team had always explored buying the seven-time champion.
Apart from that concept coming under Domenicali’s tenure, it was widely reported in 2019 that Hamilton met with Ferrari chairman John Elkann to discuss their plans for the future.
While the idea of Hamilton racing for Ferrari has prompted intrigue among fans about what they could have achieved together, the man himself says he does not think too much about how things could have developed.
Instead, he makes it clear that he has no regrets – and that he particularly appreciates Mercedes’ commitment to its drivers.
Hamilton responded to the Ferrari interest by saying: “It was a part of each end of a [contract] term. You have to kind of do your due diligence and see what options you have.
“I’m really proud of where I am and what I’ve done with Mercedes.
“I always thought that, and I think I said it before: the idea of going to Ferrari was kind of short lived in the sense that when you’re with Mercedes, you’re with a family for life.
“If you look at all the historic drivers that have driven from Mercedes, they’ve been with them until they’re in the 90s. And that’s something that you don’t see in any other team with any other brand.
“That’s something I’m very, very proud of. Plus we’ve achieved more than anybody. And that’s down to the great teamwork, it’s down to loyalty, and I don’t take that for granted.”
The possibility of a Hamilton/Ferrari line-up, according to Domenicali, is akin to the Gwyneth Paltrow movie about an ad executive whose world is turned upside down after she misses a train.
“There are moments in life where there is a movie that for me sometimes is very important to remember: Sliding Doors. There are moments where, if you don’t get into an elevator, you stay on the floor.
“That was the situation that Lewis lived in that specific time of his life, but I think that he cannot blame his choice, at least because he did an incredible career.”
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