Ferrari is said to have begun contract talks with Charles Leclerc despite reports of a mega-money offer to tempt Lewis Hamilton to join.
The Brit's future is uncertain with no concrete updates on the progress of renewal talks with Mercedes. Meanwhile, both Ferrari drivers have just 18 months remaining on their respective deals.
A Daily Mail report claimed Ferrari chairman John Elkann has been in close contact with Hamilton over his future in a bid to tempt him away from the Mercedes team he has called his family. A £40m contract will reportedly be offered to the 38-year-old on top of the assertion that he will have a better chance of winning more titles with the Italian outfit.
It remains to seen what such a turn of events would mean for the current Ferrari drivers. Both out of contract next year, Leclerc was the centrepiece of the Ferrari project but has made a lot of mistakes when in strong positions, while Carlos Sainz has done well to match his team-mate in their time together.
But, according to prominent reporter Giuliano Duchessa, writing for Formu1a.uno, Ferrari has turned to Leclerc first to open renewal talks. Elkann is said to be heavily involved in those talks as well, with the team perhaps wary of persistent links between Leclerc and a move to Mercedes.
It is a hint that Sainz might be the one replaced if Ferrari were to tempt Hamilton to quit Mercedes and make the move to Maranello. That said, Leclerc may well be the driver the Silver Arrows turn to replace the seven-time world champion if faced with the prospect of losing him.
These reports come after Piero Ferrari, son of the legendary Enzo Ferrari and vice chairman of the eponymous car brand, declared his belief that Leclerc can become as good as Max Verstappen. "Charles has the speed to be equal, but he has less experience, in terms of the number of GPs. Leclerc can still grow, he will grow.," said the 78-year-old.
Meanwhile, Damon Hill thinks Leclerc should re-sign with Ferrari due to a likely lack of alternative options. The 1996 world champion said: "When you look around at the top teams and who they have in their teams, they're probably content with what they've got at the moment. I'm not sure that there's anywhere else for him to go.
"He's never really been in an extended campaign for the championship. There have always been moments that it's been good and then they've faded, and he's also had these blots on his copybook with qualifying, the banzai lap that goes wrong and stuff."
