Ferrari flattered that Hamilton 'wants to join us'
Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri says Lewis Hamilton's meeting with chairman John Elkann has been blown out of proportion, but indicated the Formula 1 champion has some interest in a move.

During the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, it emerged Hamilton had met twice this year with Ferrari boss Elkann, triggering speculation the six-time title winner may leave Mercedes when his contract expires next year.
Mercedes and Hamilton have both indicated strongly that extending their championship-dominating partnership is the most likely outcome, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said there was a "25%" chance his star drive could move to Ferrari.
Speaking to select journalists including Motorsport.com at Maranello this week, Camilleri said that while Hamilton's meeting with Elkann was public knowledge it was not a professional rendezvous.
"It was a social event, which has sort of been blown somewhat out of proportion," he said. "They have some common friends."
Commenting on the speculation linking Hamilton to the team, Camilleri said the Briton was among the drivers interested in racing for Ferrari.
"The fact is we have a long-term agreement with one driver and with the other driver the agreement expires at the end of 2020," he said. "We clearly are very flattered that Lewis in particular, and other drivers, want to come and join us.
"But it would be premature to decide anything now for the future."
Read Also:
Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc will race for Ferrari again in 2020, but while Leclerc has a long-term deal Vettel is among the drivers out of contract after next season.
It is understood that team boss Mattia Binotto and Camilleri would have the final say over Ferrari's driver line-up, and Camilleri said he had not spoken to Hamilton himself.
He also dismissed any hypothetical talk about whether Ferrari would be willing to be flexible and allow Hamilton's non-F1 activities to be pursued as much as they are by Mercedes.
"Honestly, I don't want to go there," he said. "It's totally premature and we'll look at our options at the appropriate time and we will see what is the best fit for us as a team."
Read Also:
Four-time world champion Vettel has made high-profile mistakes over the last two seasons and was beaten by Ferrari newcomer Leclerc in the points this year.
However, Binotto says he still feels "lucky" to have the current line-up, hinting that a change of driver is unlikely if Vettel decides to continue racing in F1 beyond 2020.
"With Seb we need to sit down to understand his intentions for the future," said Binotto. "I think we need to see our strategy developing next year.
"We need to see as well the performance and how he does fit with the car and his motivation for the future.
"It's not about his mistakes or not. It's really a matter of how he does see himself as far as his future and how we do see our line-up."

Previous article
Ferrari reveals "very early" 2020 F1 car launch
Next article
The inside story of Brabham's dramatic first title win

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Lewis Hamilton |
Teams | Scuderia Ferrari |
Author | Scott Mitchell |
Ferrari flattered that Hamilton 'wants to join us'
Trending
Is Red Bull Hiding the Real RB16B? | F1 2021
Sergio Perez's First Drive With Red Bull Racing
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.
Eight things Red Bull must do to beat Mercedes in 2021
After seven years of defeat at the hands of Mercedes, Red Bull is as hungry as ever to secure a fifth world championship. But there are key challenges it must overcome in 2021 to switch from challenger to conqueror
How AlphaTauri has adapted to F1's new rules
AlphaTauri launched its AT02, complete with a new livery, as it bids to home in on an already-tight midfield battle. Although there were few outright new parts displayed on the launch render, there might be a few clues into further changes down the line…