Hamilton eyes patient start with Ferrari amid contractual hold with Mercedes

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Lewis Hamilton, Britain's illustrious seven-time Formula 1 world champion, has expressed his acceptance of a delayed debut in a Ferrari, as his current team, Mercedes, keeps him engaged through the end of his existing contract for sponsorship commitments. As a result, Hamilton will miss the post-season opportunity to test the Ferrari at Abu Dhabi, potentially stirring a challenging start to his tenure with the iconic Italian team.

The anticipated shift of Hamilton from Mercedes to replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari has had its share of procedural hurdles. Mercedes, adamant about retaining Hamilton until the contract expires on December 31, has scheduled him for sponsor obligations which clash with the post-season testing in Abu Dhabi. This situation arises even though Ferrari facilitated a testing arrangement for Sainz with his new team, Williams, post his tenure with Ferrari.

Speaking to reporters before the Qatar Grand Prix, Hamilton conveyed mixed emotions about the delay: "I was in two minds [about] driving the red car for the first time in Abu Dhabi. That's not exciting," he remarked. He later added, "In a perfect world, you get to drive it and not be seen and do the first rollout next year."

Despite the setback, Hamilton understands the contractual bindings with Mercedes, which prevent earlier engagements with Ferrari. "When I did raise it [with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff] ... they had all these plans that I've got to go and see some of the sponsors and say their farewells. I don't think it was ever going to actually be allowed, even if I'd asked to have done it because I'm contracted to the team until December 31st and that's totally fine," Hamilton shared.

Ferrari's team principal, Fred Vasseur, remains optimistic about Hamilton's upcoming transition, not anticipating a long adjustment period for the seasoned champion. "Am I missing out on something? For sure," Hamilton acknowledged the inevitable challenges his delayed start might present. However, he remained hopeful, stating, "It definitely delays the process and makes the start of the year harder. But we'll do our best to recover."

Hamilton is slated for a closed test session in Italy with Ferrari this coming January using an older model, before the pre-season activities commence in Bahrain in February. As the F1 community anxiously awaits the union of Hamilton with Ferrari, all eyes will be on how swiftly he can acclimate to his new driving environment amidst the procedural delays.

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