Lewis Hamilton rejects Ferrari move on Monaco GP eve, The Irish Times

Lewis Hamilton denied talking to Ferrari about a move to the Italian Formula 1 team and said on Thursday he was close to agreeing a new deal with Mercedes.

The seven-time world champion, the sport’s most successful driver of all time, is out at the end of the season and there has been speculation the 38-year-old could join Ferrari.

My team works closely behind the scenes [team boss] Tote [Wolff]we are almost at the end when the deal is done, the Briton said ahead of this weekend’s Monaco GP.

“The team is focused on it so I can just do my job. It’s a much better position than before because I remember doing all my negotiations alone and it was very stressful. I don’t have to do that anymore.”

[ Hamilton claims Mercedes didnt listen to concerns over new Formula One car ]

Asked directly if Ferrari had been in touch, Hamilton said no.

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur said separately that the team had not made any offer.

We had no conversations. I think every team on the grid would love to have Hamilton at one point. It would be foolish not to say something like this, the Frenchman added.

Hamilton hoped that negotiations with Mercedes would be completed in the coming weeks.

The Daily Mail reported on Monday that Ferrari were set to offer Hamilton a £40m (£46m) deal for partner Charles Leclerc. According to Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport, the story appeared to have a basis in truth.

“When you’re in contract negotiations, there’s always going to be speculation, and I think at the end of the day, unless you hear it from me, that’s it,” said Hamilton.

He suggested the media were just fed up when last weekend’s planned Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola was canceled due to flooding. Hamilton said the lack of Mercedes form did not affect his decision.

It doesn’t matter because it was still the team that won the championship, he said. We just had the wrong car, some decisions have been made over the last two years that haven’t been ideal. We are working through it… we have another update this weekend, the team has been working incredibly hard on this update.

Leclerc appeared in the same session as Hamilton and nodded when asked if he would welcome Hamilton as his team-mate.

If I say yes, I imagine it will be a headline in every newspaper, he said. “I think anyone on the grid would want Lewis as a teammate because everyone learns a lot from him,” he added.

But I’m happy where I am and with Carlos it’s a great relationship too. Reuters