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Vasseur responds to latest Verstappen, Hamilton to Ferrari queries

  • Darshan Chokhani
    • Frederic Vasseur, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton

    AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 21: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W14 during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 21, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202310220093 // Usage for editorial use only //

    Frederic Vasseur responds to the persistent questions about Max Verstappen and or Lewis Hamilton being part of Ferrari F1 team one day.

    Despite Verstappen having a long-term contract with Red Bull, there is always the question around the Dutchman being part of the Ferrari clan. It is same for Hamilton, who has been with Mercedes for several years now and will remain with them in the neat future.

    Ferrari chief Vasseur was once again asked about the topic. For Verstappen, the Frenchmen seemingly left it at ‘never say never’, but with a situation where it is highly unlikely to happen. “I think if you ask the same question to the 10 team principal on the grid that everybody would say we would be pleased to welcome Max to the team,” he said to media.

    “But now I think he has a contract until 2045, I don’t know, or 2026 (2028), and we have to be focussed on ourselves as I said. I think it is somehow a lost of energy and focus to think about this. We have to be focus on what we have in the team and it is not just about drivers, it is about all the other topics and it is not the discussion for now.

    “But they always say, never say never,” summed up Vasseur, as on the side of Hamilton, the Frenchman noted about talking with him for the past 20 years but never on the topic of driving for Ferrari per se as his relation with the Brit goes back to junior days.

    “I’m talking with Lewis each week or each month for 20 years, so I can’t say that I didn’t speak with Lewis at one stage, as we are always in contact,” said Vasseur. “It’s true because half of the grid drove for me in the past, and in Baku, I had a discussion with Lewis in the paddock, and it started to go everywhere, but if he signed a contract with me each time that we spoke in the past, it would cost me a fortune.”

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