01 February 2024 , 13:08
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Ahead of his blockbuster move to join Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has already admitted that he would love to end his career with the Scuderia.
Hamilton is on the verge of agreeing to join Ferrari. If agreed, the seven-time world champion will continue to race for Mercedes this year before departing at the end of the campaign to join the Italians for 2025.
It is hardly the first time Hamilton has been linked with a move to Ferrari - only last year he was linked with the switch, before signing an extension with Mercedes. At the time, though, he admitted that he had thought about the prospect of making the switch before calling time on his F1 racing days.
"I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought about ending my career anywhere else," he said. "I started at McLaren, I'd like to think I'll always be a part of the McLaren family.
"I started there when I was 13 years old so I thought about what it would look like if I was at McLaren one day. I thought about and watched the Ferrari drivers on the screens at the track and of course you wonder what it would be like to be in red."
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And it was not the first time Hamilton has spoken about the prospect of racing in the famous red cars. In 2021, the Briton admitted it was a dream of his that, at that point, had not materialised in his career.
He said: "For many years, when I came to Monza, walking next to the fans, I could hear them saying, 'Come to Ferrari!' This warmed my heart, but it's pretty amazing that I've never driven for Ferrari in so many years.
"Because it is a dream for anyone, a goal to be achieved. It was never really been possible and I will never quite know exactly why. I wish them the best and in my near future I hope I will continue to prevent them from winning the world championship. I have a couple of Ferraris at home. I can drive those, but not the Ferrari F1."
When Hamilton makes the move in 2025, he will team up with Charles Leclerc who last month committed his long-term future to Ferrari. The Monegasque spoke last year about the prospect of teaming up with Hamilton and made it clear he would welcome the Briton to the team with open arms.
Leclerc said: "Lewis is such an incredible driver, has achieved so much in the sport, so I think anybody on the grid would love to have Lewis as a team-mate, as everybody would learn a lot from him. But again, I'm happy where I am, and with Carlos [Sainz] it's a great relationship too."