The Team Principal of Ferrari, Frederic Vasseur, affirms that the team does not rely on the drivers to attract engineers, despite the highly anticipated arrival of Lewis Hamilton in 2025. Earlier this month, Ferrari made the surprising announcement that Hamilton would be joining the team from Mercedes next year, replacing Carlos Sainz. It has been suggested that Hamilton’s presence could attract more people to consider a move to Ferrari. However, Vasseur believes that the appeal of representing the renowned and iconic Scuderia is already a strong incentive for potential recruits. He emphasizes that Ferrari is focused on building a long-term project and is satisfied with its current state.
Reports in the Italian media suggest that Hamilton is interested in bringing his long-time race engineer, Peter Bonnington, to Ferrari. It is common for Formula 1 drivers to desire familiar faces to help them adapt to a new team. Ferrari has allowed this in the past, such as when Michael Schumacher joined the team from Benetton in 1996 and brought Technical Director Ross Brawn and Chief Designer Rory Byrne. This collaboration resulted in a dominant period for Ferrari between 1999 and 2004, winning six Constructors’ Championships and five Drivers’ Championships. Ferrari is determined to avoid the mistake made when Sebastian Vettel joined the team in 2015 without any familiar personnel.
However, Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes supposedly includes a non-poaching clause that would prevent him from attracting people to join Ferrari. While this clause protects Mercedes from a mass exodus, it does not prohibit individuals from leaving the team and joining a rival elsewhere.
