Lewis Hamilton ‘might walk out’ amid Ferrari staff doubts about him | F1 | Sport
Lewis Hamilton “might walk out” if Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur is replaced by Christian Horner, it has been claimed. Horner has been strongly linked with a switch to the Italian team in the past, with Ferrari chiefs known to admire the success the Brit enjoyed over 20 years at the helm of Red Bull Racing.
Naturally, when he was relieved of his duties by Red Bull last summer, Horner was immediately linked with several other outfits, Ferrari being one of them. Team boss Vasseur signed a new contract extension last year but the job security the Frenchman has on paper has not deterred those who have suggested he could still be replaced over the course of the coming year if Ferrari are not competitive under the new design regulations.
It is widely known that Horner wants to get back into F1 and has been meeting with potential investors in the hope of putting together a consortium to buy a stake in a team. He has been most strongly linked with Alpine, where there is a potential opening as Otro Capital, which owns 24 percent of the outfit, is said to be looking to sell.
That is his most likely next move as it stands, though there is always the chance Ferrari could make a huge offer out of desperation if things don’t go their way over the coming months. Not that the idea of a union with Horner is something that would appeal much to Hamilton.
For many years, they were on opposite sides of a bitter rivalry between Mercedes and Red Bull, particularly in 2021 when Hamilton and Max Verstappen fought a furious fight for the drivers’ title, and the acrimony between them was reflected in the relationship between bosses Horner and Toto Wolff. And, according to the Daily Mail, the idea of having to work under Horner would “likely” spell the end for Hamilton, who “might walk out” of Ferrari with Vasseur.
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The claim comes as Italian media report that internal “grumblings” about Hamilton’s performances have become louder in recent times. Respected Italian journalist Leo Turrini, writing in Quotidiano Nazionale, acknowledged that Ferrari’s 2025 car “was a complete piece of junk”, but added: “There’s no doubt that the seven-time world champion was almost never up to Charles Leclerc’s level.
“There’s more – the mutual grumblings have spread within the Scuderia. The doubts have multiplied and exploded. There’s a reason why they all talk about [Oliver] Bearman!”
Bearman enjoyed a strong debut season overall for customer team Haas, though the young Brit remains a Ferrari employee. Another impressive run of results in his sophomore F1 campaign will further increase the chances of Ferrari calling him up to race for the senior side if either they or Hamilton decide to cut their losses.
