Ferrari ready to poach Lewis Hamilton for £40 million

The Formula 1 rumour mill is in full swing as the silly season kicks off this early in the season. The latest reports are claiming that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton could join Ferrari next season if Mercedes fail to put a championship-winning car under him in the next few months.

Reports about possible driver swaps kicked off a few weeks ago thanks to Daniel Ricciardo's alleged seat fitting with Alpha Tauri. Nyck de Vries is feeling the heat, but now the spotlight is on some bigger names who may choose to seek employment elsewhere in 2024.

According to the Daily Mail, Ferrari are ready to offer Lewis Hamilton a seat in one of their famous red cars from next season. They are convinced that a £40 million offer could convince him to make the move if they prove that he will have a better chance of finally securing his elusive eighth driver's world championship title with them.

The money is not an issue as both Ferrari and Hamilton's current team, Mercedes, can easily cough up the cash to match his demands. Therefore, the decision will lie primarily in the ability of either team to produce results with their cars.

Ferrari have not won a title since 2007, and while they have a very talented driver pairing in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, they are still literally and figuratively miles behind Red Bull in the title race. Adding Hamilton to the roster could be the X-factor they are looking for. Mercedes meanwhile, have had a miserable 2022 and 2023 so far, after enjoying a dominant streak for seven seasons.

Two possible scenarios at Ferrari

It has to be said that among the drivers involved in this scenario, only Hamilton is free to decide his seat for 2024. At the moment, Ferrari have both Leclerc and Sainz locked in for next season. That said, it is not entirely impossible to buy out a driver's contract in F1.

With the possible arrival of Hamilton, Ferrari could choose to partner him with Leclerc, who has been their favoured driver over the past several seasons whether they care to admit it or not. This however, may not necessarily go down well with the drivers, who will both be expecting to play the number 1 role.

Another scenario will see Ferrari swap Leclerc for Hamilton, leaving Sainz in his current seat. This would mean a partnership between Leclerc and Russell at Mercedes, which is not entirely a bad thing for Toto Wolff.

Hamilton faced with a tough decision

The fact of the matter is, Red Bull are dominating the season and it will be difficult to catch them in any car. However, they are not likely to offer any driving opportunities to Hamilton, or anyone else who may potentially ruffle the feathers of reigning champion Max Verstappen.

Hamilton has always expressed his desire to stay with Mercedes should he stay in the sport. But if the upgrades that they will bring to Monaco this weekend produce nothing, he may start looking for other places where he can end his career with a bang. Ferrari might provide that opportunity, considering how the legendary Italian team have been Red Bull's closest contenders last season.

This year, Aston Martin are also in the picture thanks to Fernando Alonso, who will not likely retire next year considering how things are currently going. There is also little chance that Lance Stroll will be sacked by his father, especially since the younger Stroll has been holding his own behind the wheel.

The media is convinced that Ferrari are serious about the move, and company president John Elkann is said to have already spoken to Hamilton's representatives. However, any decision will probably be held off for as long as possible, and Toto Wolff will likely do anything to keep the Briton with the Brackley-based team.