Ralf Schumacher dismisses Lewis Hamilton’s retirement rumors for F1 2024 as “utterly ridiculous.”
Six-time F1 race winner Ralf Schumacher was having none of it when presented with an “absurd” rumour about how Lewis Hamilton would end his career after the F1 2024 campaign.
Hamilton is set to realise a “childhood dream” when he races in the iconic Ferrari red from F1 2025, but before then, he has an important final season with Mercedes to navigate, the team with which he has won six of his seven World Championship titles.
Lewis Hamilton retirement claim ‘completely absurd’
However, Hamilton faces a significant challenge in the upcoming F1 2024 as he competes against his Mercedes teammate George Russell. Currently, Russell holds a dominant 7-1 lead over Hamilton in qualifying head-to-heads, and he has accumulated an impressive 54 points compared to Hamilton’s 42.
And when speaking to Formel1.de, it was put to Schumacher that there are rumours floating around that Hamilton could retire at the end of F1 2024, rather than make that move to Ferrari, thus giving him a ‘face-saving exit’ from his Ferrari deal.
Schumacher responded with incredulity, stating it was “utterly ridiculous.”
He further commented, “Undoubtedly, the contract is excessively large, with an immense amount of money at stake.”
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Schumacher dismissed the additional aspect of the rumor suggesting Ferrari’s doubts about signing Hamilton as a replacement for Sainz. He praised Hamilton’s signing as a “brilliant” move by the Scuderia and emphasized that Hamilton remains an exceptional driver.
There is ongoing speculation that Hamilton might not be the only one to make the move to Ferrari, as Adrian Newey, the renowned F1 design expert from Red Bull, is also rumored to be considering joining the team. Despite having turned down numerous offers from Ferrari in the past, Newey’s potential departure is now being discussed.
Hamilton has expressed his strong desire to collaborate with Newey for the first time in his Formula 1 career at Ferrari.
When asked by the media at the Miami GP about his desire for Newey to join him at Ferrari, Hamilton responded:
Adrian has an impressive history and track record, consistently delivering outstanding performance throughout his career. His exceptional ability to connect with teams and vast knowledge make him a truly remarkable addition.
In my opinion, their team is already exceptional. They are making remarkable advancements and their car is noticeably faster this year. However, I must admit, it would be an absolute honor to have the opportunity to collaborate with him.
If I were to make a list of people I would truly enjoy collaborating with, he would undoubtedly rank at the very top.
Upon his arrival at Ferrari, Hamilton will discover Charles Leclerc, the victor of the Monaco Grand Prix, situated across the garage.
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