According to reports, Ferrari is set to offer a shocking $75 million deal to Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time F1 world champion, to leave Mercedes for the next season. With this potential partnership, the Briton will have the opportunity, in all likelihood, to go past the legendary Michael Schumacher to win his eighth F1 title in the Ferrari car.
It is a well-known fact that the 38-year-old driver’s current contract with Mercedes will run out at the end of the 2023 Formula One season. He is currently sitting in fourth place in the driver’s championship with 56 points, behind the leader Max Verstappen by 63 points.
As reported by Daily Mail, the President of Ferrari, John Elkann is already having close discussions with Lewis Hamilton, who hasn’t renewed his contract with Mercedes as of yet. The negotiations between both parties are expected to start at $75 million, which is quite similar to the current salary of the British driver.
The money won’t be a factor for Ferrari in striking a deal with Lewis Hamilton as they will be prepared to spend top dollar to have him drive for them next season. Notably, for years, the family of Hamilton has been looking forward to seeing him drive for Ferrari.
It has also been reported that Ferrari is looking at two potential scenarios to bring Lewis Hamilton on board for the 2024 Formula One season. The first one might involve offering Carlos Sainz to another team on the F1 grid to make space for the veteran driver at Ferrari. The second one might involve sending the current number 1 Charles Leclerc to Mercedes as a swap deal to have the Briton at Ferrari.