Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto revealed Lewis Hamilton was never a choice for the team during his tenure. He said that the team had their eyes set on other drivers at the time.

Ferrari announced Lewis Hamilton as their 2025 driver before the start of the current F1 season. In a move that shocked the entire paddock, he decided to split with Mercedes after racing with them for over a decade. This decision to sign the driver with the Italian outfit came in the second year under the guidance of Frederic Vasseur.

Vasseur joined the team in January of 2023 after Mattia Binotto, the former team principal, resigned. It now seems apparent that it was the former’s choice to sign the seven-time World Champion because Binotto recently revealed that he never considered him during his tenure.

When Mattia Binotto, who now works with Sauber, was asked if the team could have signed Lewis Hamilton when he was the team principal, he said (as quoted by PlanetF1):

“No. But he did very well to go to Ferrari, I agree with his decision. Because Ferrari had set their sights on other drivers. And if the talent is Leclerc, he is the one who somehow I think should be taken to the target.”

Hamilton will partner Charles Leclerc at Ferrari next season, replacing Carlos Sainz. While Leclerc is set to face some competition from the 39-year-old, he feels that his addition to the team will bring a positive impact.

Charles Leclerc explains how Lewis Hamilton would positively impact the team

Hamilton has more than a decade’s experience of racing in F1 compared to Leclerc. This, the latter feels, could bring the change in Ferrari. Talking about the Briton joining him in the second Ferrari seat next season, Charles Leclerc explained that he will have to perform at his best to keep in competition with Hamilton.

At the same time, he claimed that Lewis Hamilton will bring immense experience with himself at Ferrari, which will benefit the team in the long run.

“When a champion like Lewis gets to any team, it brings a lot of motivation out of every single person. He will come along with all the experience that he’s had over the years with Mercedes – a different way of working, a different vision – and this is always benefitting a team.”

“Obviously for me it’s going to be amazing because I’ll have in the same car as me the most successful driver in F1 history. That will be both extremely interesting for me to learn from one of the best ever, as well as a really big challenge and motivation to beat Lewis and to show what I’m capable of.”

Ferrari is set to be Lewis Hamilton’s third F1 team. He debuted with McLaren in 2007 and won the championship in the following season. He then moved to Mercedes in 2013 and won a whopping six titles between 2014 and 2020.