Lewis Hamilton said he never felt “ready” to accept an offer to race for Formula 1’s most famous team – Ferrari.
With the seven-time world champion’s new two-year contract with Mercedes still being negotiated after a long delay, there have been rumors that Ferrari are interested.
“Not really,” the 38-year-old said when asked if he would consider moving.
On whether he will receive an offer, Hamilton added:
“Never. “Okay, we definitely had a few unrelated conversations. I know a lot of good people there. But I never felt ready to move to Italy,” he told Blick newspaper.
However, famous interviewer Roger Benoit reminded Hamilton that he will leave Formula 1 before the age of 40.
“I have to admit that I underestimated my love for this sport,” the British racer replied. “But it became a story about love and hatred.
“There are days when I don’t want to climb into the cockpit. But then the duels with my teammate (George Russell) gave me more motivation.
“You always have to be alert. »
However, Hamilton recently admitted that his qualifying performance in the new ‘ground effects’ era in 2022 and 2023 was “crap”.
“I try to push my limits in every race and I trust my team,” he told Benoit. “But it’s true. If you don’t feel balanced in the car, your willingness to take risks will decrease.”
He is now hoping for a much better car for 2024 to compete with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
When asked about his opponents for the 2021 title, Hamilton said:
“What do you want to hear? All I can tell him is keep doing what you’re doing.
“Because Max is doing a great job at Red Bull right now.”
However, Hamilton does not rule out the possibility of extending his Formula 1 career beyond the end of his new contract until 2025. “I never said an eighth title would be the end for me,” he said. “But I won’t know until I get there.
“Without a good car, you cannot achieve the big goals of Formula 1. No one can.”
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