Carlos Sainz securing a contract extension until the end of the 2024 is one in the eye for his naysayers. Sainz has scored just 33 points to his team mates 71 in the opening three races of the Formula 1 season.
Yet despite the Spaniard’s teammate Charles LeClerc storming to the top of the F1 drivers’ championship after the first three rounds of the 2022 season, Ferrari have now signalled their confidence in Sainz.
Of course, Ferrari could have looked at other options for next season.
And why not multiple world champion Lewis Hamilton? He is out of contract with Mercedes the at the end of this season, but it appears the Scuderia have shunned the British champion’s previous overtures towards the Italian team.
Speaking to Sky Italia in Monza during the 2021 Italian GP, Hamilton stated, “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.”
At the time Hamilton was in a battle Royal with Max Verstappen for the world championship and his Mercedes car and team were less dominant than at any time since his first championship winning year with Brackley.
Lewis would be well aware that empires come and empires fall in Formula 1 and that his beloved Mercedes team may well be falling back into the pack. His comments about Ferrari and the Tifosi were almost certainly at least a fishing expedition.
Yet know with Hamilton struggling to compete with his new team mate, Mercedes in decline, he may have one more shot at the 8th WDC left in him, but knows time is short.
Given Ferrari look the team to beat and have the best engine – which is locked in now until 2025 – Hamilton’s hopes of a drive with the Scuderia are over.
When Ferrari’s option expires on Carlos Sainz in 2025, Hamilton will be 40 years of age.
This and this alone means Hamilton will never fulfil the “dream” and drive for the iconic Italian F1 team.
In all honesty, ageing ex champions don’t bring much success to Ferrari from their previous appointments in the last 15 years or so.
Charlie is the future, along with Ferrari.
Forza Ferrari
I’ve been having these discussions for years on WhatsApp and other forums. Despite what much of the British press suggests, Ferrari would never have entertained Lewis.
Before the ‘racist’ brigade fires up their ignorance and calls me a hater…. the simple truth is Ferrari, from its founder’s earliest design in 1947 through to his death in 1988, knew the power of the Ferrari name and no driver was bigger than the team.
LdM and Todt’s Schumacher era almost derailed that legacy with modern fans having a skewed view of Ferrari, ultimately assisted by a biased British press. But evidence in the last 10-15 years is a changing of the old Schumacher era thinking and more of a ‘team is the priority’ mindset.
Of course, Sainz may well have to support his team-mate at some point but these aren’t 10 or 16 GP’s a year anymore. this is a long season and despite the media making LeClerc the favourite, there’s still 20 races to run!
Lewis was too big a name for Ferrari to try to call in. And irrespective of how Lewis believes he guides the team on all things technical, citing he gives the engineers ideas on how to make changes.
It’s quite obvious, the loss of Aldo Costa, Andy Cowell and an unlimited budget have impacted Mercedes negatively and no amount of driving talent seems able to make up the shortfall / and I say that having read Hamilton himself say in interviews, if he’d have stayed with McLaren, he’d not have added any further titles to his name.
As shocking as that is, imagine a world where Rosberg was a seven time champion.. I doubt anyone would be calling him greatest ever, which kind of confirms greatness isn’t measured by statistics.
Final point. For a few years, the foolish in the press have bleated on about Mick Schumacher driving for Ferrari one day, as though his surname carries some magical fairy dust quality with it.
I will state now, having barely beaten Mazepin last year, and now struggling to contain KMag who has not driven F1 machinery for a year, his ability is being revealed as sorely lacking. He will never get a call to join Ferrari for his driving talent and certainly not for his fathers legacy.
Whilst I agree with a lot of what you say Carlo, Ferrari wouldn’t be looking at Lewis as he has at best two more seasons in him, they are looking for better investment than that. Mick Schumacher has nothing like his fathers talent, you see it all the time in football where clubs throw money at an old stars son and it usually is wasted. Also, Lewis wont leave MB, sure they have problems right now but what team hasn’t but they have the money and resources to turn this around and Lewis knows this. He feels he has one more championship in him after being so cruelly robbed of it last season by Masi and I for one think he will succeed, then he can retire setting a record that I don’t think anyone will beat in my lifetime. Ferrari have now renewed Sainz contract and rightly so he will be great for Leclerc as a team mate.
Your comment about Lewis and McLaren whilst true is because like in football where all the best players play for the top teams, in F1 the best drivers gravitate to the top teams. Lewis showed what a great talent he was winning his first title so young and was only going to one of the top teams and wisely chose MB. No driver with Lewis talent would stay at a team where their chances of a title are limited, Max was fortunate to start in Red Bull but I feel his father had something to do with that, most drivers start in lower teams and have to prove themselves first, Max was very fortunate.
Three things really, I agree that Jos likely strong armed Red Bull into taking Max on because as I remember it, Max was in discussion with Mercedes to go through their system and Red Bull stole him from Brackley.
Also, Max’s first season and a bit was with Toro Rosso.
Yes Lewis did win the title in his second season but he entered F1 with McLaren. In 2007, McLaren and Ferrari were the largest teams in the championship, similarly in 2008. He never started with a lower midfield team to serve his apprenticeship
When Lauda and Mercedes came calling, he was obviously told of the investment and plans that were in place to raise the fumbling entity that was the works Mercedes team to the colossus it became.
I believe Lewis had grown frustrated by Ron Dennis’ stewardship of Woking and on reflection a brilliant decision. But if memory serves, Lauda only spoke to Lewis because Michael Schumacher was hesitating on committing to the project further.
As the cliche goes, if my aunt had balls…
I totally agree with most of what you said but Max’s progression was very different to Lewis. Max was fortunate to be the son of ex F1 driver Josh and also very talented. Lewis struggled with adversity during his climb through the ranks but his talent helped him through. After karting, he won the title in Formula Renault after three attempts, finishing fifth and third previously. Then in Formula 3 he was fifth at his first attempt but had many notable wins. He then dominated before moving into GP2 with McLaren which he won on his first attempt, then a vacancy at McLaren F1 became available and Lewis seemed the best choice given his dominance in F3 and GP2. Max however, went straight into F3 and didn’t exactly set the world alight but showed a lot of promise finishing third and beating a lot of experienced drivers and then his Dad strong armed Red Bull into signing him. His first season he was quick but inexperienced and crashed a lot mainly with Vettel who grew to hate the sight of him. Lewis came up the hard way whilst Max was given a nice ride into F1, Lewis learned from his many mistakes and got better, Max still continues to believe he is never at fault and that people crash into him which will only continue to be bad for Max. The words spoiled and entitled spring to mind.
I already said at the time of the switch from Raikonen to Ferrari that this would not be a good move. Ferrari was built all around Schumacher. And with the departure of Schumi, Brown etc you saw the relapse. Whether LH would really want to drive for Ferrari. Have heard him say different things about this in the past.
Other than that, I don’t have the ideological feeling about Ferrari. It’s just one of the teams for me.
Schumi junior is indeed not going to bring it, if he goes to Ferrari then purely as a Barichello to play second fiddle to Leclere or Sainz.
Funny how fiction influences opinions. Jos Verstappen never ‘strongarmed’ RB into getting Max a seat. Jos is all but ‘big’ in f1 and has no leverage at all. Also RB is big enough to not let themselves forced into anything. He did have the contacts to bring Max under RB’s attention. After that it was Max’ talent and performance that convinced them.
Then the fairytale about ‘stealing’ Max from Mercedes… that also never happened. Both Merc and RB wanted Max and offered him a position. Max choose RB because they offered him a F1 seat directly while Merc wanted him in F2 first.
So again Steve ‘Hamfosi’ Callahan is sucked up in his own bubble and draws conclusions out of thin air and gossip.
Btw Steve… Repeatedly stating Josh in stead of Jos, is not a spelling mistake. It’s ignorance.
Duckey you’ve stopped taking your tablets from those nice men in white coats again! 😂
To be clear, Max came from karting straight into F3 for one year and made a great impression but nowhere near good enough to catapult him into an F1 seat and certainly not into a top team like Red Bull. Young drivers come up through teams that that they are affiliated to or buy their way in, Josh isn’t very popular but still has many connections in F1 and has been grooming Max since he was a boy and is well known to be an aggressive negotiator. Red Bull were interested in Max and would have had to have dealt with Josh and if you think he had nothing to do with Max going straight into a Red Bull F1 seat with one year in F3 then you are an even bigger idiot than I took you for. Max got his seat at Toro Rosso first in 2014 aged 17, the youngest ever driver to do so, only and I can’t remember the last time a driver got through to F1 in such a short time. Both Schumacher and Hamilton took years going through various Formulas before they got to F1 and they are both 7 time champions. Max had to be given his title on a plate as he had blown it over the last few races due to inexperience. Having a dad who is an ex F1 driver and extremely pushy to boot made the difference and as good a driver as Max is he still shows a shocking lack of experience and recklessness that has cost him many points and many penalty points. A few more years in F3 would have sorted that but I guess Josh knows best!
I agree there was no stealing Max from MB but I didn’t write that.
Oh and by the way Duckey, haven’t you realised yet that I keep calling Jos, Josh as it winds you up so much 😂
look and here you are really uninformed Steve.
look and here you are really uninformed Steve.
kijk en hier ben je echt niet op de hoogte Steve.
look and you are really uninformed here Steve.
kijk en je bent hier echt niet op de hoogte Steve.
Jos does not negotiate. That is what Raymond Vermeulen does.
and as i have indicated to you before i am in a position to know the verstappen family and raymond. I know how they are organized.
and if you’re looking for a driver who went to F1 with a year of racing experience in F3, I don’t know him either. but I do know a certain Kimi who, I think, already promoted to F1 after a year of Formula Renault. so so
special the route of max (at his age after kimi was slightly older) is not.
Oeps Some Dutch in my post. 🤣😂t dam autocorrect. But you hopefully you get the idea Esther i mean
Quite an interesting post Dre, repeating the same line over and over in Dutch and English and I did get the point though. I do admit that my F1 feedback comes from MB but I do follow Red Bull as they are a fascinating team. I also know that Vermeulen was working with Jos before Max was born and was actually mentored by Jos’s manager who’s name I can’t remember. However, I still stand by what I said that although Vermeulen was his manager, Jos would have been sitting on his shoulder the whole time, he is a control freak. I do accept that I don’t have a source at Red Bull and much of what I hear is from people on the grid but I do know Jos and having met him he doesn’t strike me as someone who would let anyone else manage his son and I also know that Red Bull have had to tell him to back off a couple of times.
As for Kimi, his path was a little unusual after a couple of years in Formula Renault the next step would normally have been F3 but Sauber liked what they saw and signed him and he was a great driver but still Sauber were nearer the back of the grid so my point stands that I don’t know anyone who had the ride like Max did. There is a reason why drivers cut there teeth in F3 and GP2 it’s to gain experience which Max so obviously lacks and it is costing him. Max and Horner both have a thing about Hamilton, it has always been obvious and sure Max is on his best behaviour right now as he is staring down the barrel of a race ban if he messes up but mark my words he will go full Schumacher at one point and that is the inexperience that would have cost him the title last year.
Sure. You do it on purpose. Your standard excuse. Just as the bragging what at first was absolute no bragging. Then suddenly was irony. And finally was done on purpose. Your fake online image is eroding away Steve. I would not be suprised if you are that very shelfstacker you so despise 🤣
You really aren’t taking your medication are you, I’ve already proved that my background is sound remember? I made my money in software and engineering and gave you the companies I worked with or have you forgotten that already. You have a habit of forgetting things yet still manage to make people up and pretend to be someone else, so before you start throwing slings and arrows at me I would attend to your own house first and make sure you aren’t late for your first shift, those shelves wont fill themselves. You are a very sad case Duckey, inventing people making things up, why don’t you just sod off and get the help you so desperately need, your anti Hamilton crap wont be missed here, this site is about to become a more neutral site which wont fit with you at all, so why not set up your own site www. DuckeyIsAMoron.Com I’m sure one visit per year will be fine 😂
Haha you’ve proven nothing. Just bragging and swearing and insulting everyone disagreeing with you. Your behaviour here makes clear you don’t have the qualities to even remotely be what you claim to be. Fake persona. Goodluck with building it.
Firstly Duckey I don’t swear I leave that to trolls like you, secondly I say things as they are which you don’t like and if you remember eons ago you questioned my persona as you didn’t like it and I proved who I am, remember? I can prove who I am but have you the medical certificates to prove you are who you are as you are so fond of inventing people? What we do know is you are a sad Lewis hater who jumps on anything anti Max, well how about a couple of home truths which you hate. Your hero is a petulant immature brat who slags off his own team blames everyone else when he screws up which last season was often. Won’t take criticism or advice as he knows best and doesn’t make mistakes yet he let a huge lead slide by driving like a lunatic and allowing Lewis to catch up and would have blown last season had Masi not stepped in and handed him the title on a plate which he didn’t deserve. No racing fan on the planet will accept Max as champion, he is known as ‘Human error’ champion or ‘Paper champion’ as he has a title he doesn’t deserve and if your head wasn’t so far up Max’s arse you would know this. So stop questioning me and attend to your own sad life and please stop posting until you get the help you need from your imaginary Psychiatrist friend or other aliases you work under. Who is the real Duckey, maybe the shelf stacker extraordinaire? 😂
Lastly Duckey, you are a troll and thrive on this attention and I’m not going to feed that, so if you want to continue posting go ahead, I wont answer so please just get a life Duckey for gods sake.
Haha Steve. How often have you said you would not react anymore 😂. You’re so easy to switch on and off. Btw. I don’t defend Max at all and you’re the one that jumps when anything anti LH comes by. I just state facts about LH you don’t want to hear.
Let me give you a riddle to think about: Merc has a bad car this year after 7 years of having a totally dominant car… Guess who became wc in those 7 years? Who is performing lousy this year? Who is being outqualified and outperformed by his teammate this year? Who is sulking and apparently demotivated because he has a bad car for the first time in his career?
Any idea?
It is what it is Steve so suck it up 😂
So not content with stealing my own posts you are now stealing my lines, don’t you have the imagination to write your own! I almost laughed so loud I spilled my coffee when you said you don’t defend Max😂 So not content with inventing people you are now lying outright, why would anyone believe anything you say as you clearly live in a fantasy world of your own. We first got in contact when you leapt to the defence of Crashstappen and have done it many times since, at least I admit to defending Hamilton.
Like all Hamilton trolls you know sod all about racing as also with Hamilton trolls you perpetuate this ridiculous notion that he is only 7 times champion because of his car. I’ve already defended that twice today and won’t write it again but I don’t imagine you have ever been near to a race track let alone race a car so who would be interested in what you think! Maybe you have done a few stints on a public go kart track but real racing no way, it shows a mile by the rubbish you come out with. Stick to trolling in your basement Duckey and leave the racing comments to the grown ups.
Also, do you even have a spell checker or don’t they have them in Holland as your spelling is still awful.
Steve he wouldn’t BE 7 time wdc if he had drive in a Williams.
But it isn’t just the car. You have to win from you’re teammate. And accept from Button he always was the faster driver in the team
Oh come on Dre, I’ve already said this. No great driver would have won anything if they were in an inferior car. Schumacher only won many of his titles because he was in a dominant Ferrari. Max last year was in a much faster Red Bull, it a fact of life that the best drivers drive the fastest cars. Although, Lewis won his first title in a McLaren when Ferrari were the faster cars. Driving the best car makes about at best almost a second a lap difference, so it’s not like racing a Ferrari against a BMW, it’s the driver that makes the eventual difference. Also, Button was never faster he beat LH in 2009 after LH had his worst season ever with 5 DNF’s but Hamilton matched Jenson with Poles and wins and was always quicker. Also Button had a very chequered career constantly changing teams and falling out with his team mates and getting disqualified for cheating, he was the black sheep of F1 and he also hated Hamilton and has been speaking out against him for years. he is a very vindictive bitter guy but faster no way.
Why don’t you ask Hamilton’s ex team mate Bottas who he thinks is the best driver ever, having raced against him for years. He is on record as saying ‘Lewis is the best driver in F1 history’ so I think he would know better than pretty much anyone else.