Vasseur admits ‘most difficult’ call as Ferrari signed Hamilton was not to Sainz

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Frederic Vasseur has admitted that the Ferrari chief’s ‘most difficult’ call after they signed Mercedes icon Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season was not to Carlos Sainz.

The Scuderia moved to sign Hamilton to race with Charles Leclerc in red as the 39-year-old triggered a release clause in his contract in Brackley. Mercedes had only given Hamilton new terms in August that covered the 2025 season. But he could break out of his deal after 2024.

Talks had already started in Maranello regarding a possible new contract for Sainz as his deal expires after 2024. Ferrari were open to keeping both of their current line-up next year with Leclerc signing new terms in January. Yet a chance to sign Hamilton was too good for Ferrari.

Mercedes driver Hamilton and Ferrari chief Vasseur will reunite

Hamilton moving to Maranello reunites him with Vasseur, having won the GP2 Series title in 2006 under the Ferrari chief. Vasseur ran the ART Grand Prix team who helped the Briton to the crown which secured his graduation into Formula 1 with McLaren in the 2007 campaign.

Vasseur says he and Hamilton have maintained a ‘good relationship’ since their junior series successes. The Stevenage-born star also won the 2005 Formula 3 Euro Series title at ASM, who Vasseur ran before becoming ART. Now, they will work together in F1 for the first time.

Vasseur now admits telling Wolff was ‘more difficult’ than Sainz

But before Ferrari could announce that Hamilton had agreed to sign a multi-year contract to leave Mercedes and replace Sainz in 2025, team principal Vasseur had some ‘difficult’ phone calls to make. Not least to the Spaniard the Scuderia had sacked but also one to Toto Wolff.

Vasseur admits that telling Mercedes team principal Wolff that Hamilton was joining Ferrari was even harder than telling Sainz. The Frenchman and the Austrian have a good friendship but business came first. Hamilton holds seven F1 titles and has won a record 103 Grand Prix.

“As you can imagine, it was not the easiest call of my life,” Vasseur said, via RacingNews365, about informing Sainz. “The one that was the most difficult was the one with Toto!”