As is often the case in Formula 1 during the summer period when on-track action subsides, media attention turns to teams’ future strategies. Among the numerous conjectures and the (few) well-founded truths, what makes the difference is the credibility of the source revealing the teams’ moves. In this sense, the recent interest of Scuderia Ferrari in pursuing Lewis Hamilton’s signing, made public by Italian journalist Leo Turrini, is not a scoop that went unnoticed.
This plan was also covered by the Daily Mail, which reported that the historic Maranello-based team offered a contract of £40 million, equivalent to about €46 million at the current exchange rate, to convince the seven-time world champion to join the Prancing Horse’s cause. The negotiation is said to have been endorsed and personally conducted by Ferrari’s Chairman John Elkann. We may never know if Hamilton hesitated, but according to the aforementioned sources, the response was a polite “No, Thank You.” At this point, the revelation of the flirtation with the Black King must prompt reflection on various aspects concerning Ferrari’s medium-long term strategies.
Securing the most successful driver in Formula 1 history would have indirectly rejected the current line-up. Let’s not beat around the bush, the Charles Leclerc / Lewis Hamilton duo would have created an internal hierarchy imbalance, especially considering the generous contract offered by the Scuderia’s management to the seven-time Formula 1 world champion.
While the track would certainly provide an opportunity for Charles to prove he’s no second fiddle, having the very icon of the last decade’s premier motorsport category by your side raises some questions. A duo of aces is a luxury reserved for teams with the best car, like the McLaren duo of Ayrton Senna and Prost in the late 80s. A vastly different technological condition compared to the value of the current Prancing Horse’s single-seaters.
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The mere attempt to bring Lewis Hamilton to Maranello is symptomatic of a lack of shared vision. The hiring of Frederic Vasseur has reinforced the belief that Charles Leclerc is considered the focal point of Ferrari’s project, the young talent around whom they are building a victorious future. Given this logic, what sense would there be in pairing him with the imposing presence of a teammate with undisputed leadership?
From this whole affair, another less comforting aspect emerges. For months, it was suggested that Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari, had also taken the reins of the sporting management of the legendary Italian team. Any negotiations with the seven-time world champion personally conducted by President John Elkann would take on the appearance of a “full-blown tackle” in relation to the actions and responsibilities entrusted to the executive from Potenza. At this point, the question naturally arises: who does what in the upper echelons of the Italian team? Perhaps it would be more appropriate to inquire about who bears the responsibility for the sporting fate of the world’s most recognized sports brand?
Drawing a parallel with the past, it’s as if in 1995, lawyer Agnelli had directly contacted Michael Schumacher’s entourage, bypassing the hierarchical order of Montezemolo and then Jean Todt. In the final analysis, the alleged Ferrari/Hamilton negotiation casts a heavy shadow on the mutual relationship of esteem between the Prancing Horse’s top management and the Monegasque driver, just as Charles Leclerc’s contract renewal is in play. In this presumed story, granting us the conditional despite the authoritative source, the loser would be Ferrari from every angle. From the timing of the negotiation to the rejection by the English superstar, which would be a clear sign of mistrust in the technical capabilities of the Maranello team to return to a leading role in the short term. Because Lewis cannot and does not want to wait many more years to claim his coveted eighth world championship.
A defeat for John Elkann, who may have attempted a sensational move, paying the price of maneuvering within a world that demands the authority and competence the sport does not recognize in Agnelli’s grandson.
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