Ferrari are lining up a blockbuster move for Lewis Hamilton - a matter of weeks since he revealed that he used to fantasise about driving for the Italian manufacturer.
Hamilton, 38, has been linked with a move to Ferrari when his Mercedes contract expires at the end of the 2023 season. He is not expected to retire from Formula 1 as he chases a record eighth world title, which would eclipse Michael Schumacher's previous return of seven championships.
Mercedes have struggled to compete with Red Bull since 2021 and that has been a similar theme so far this campaign, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez leading the way. As for Hamilton, he is down in fourth place in the Drivers' Championship, with Fernando Alonso in third.
Now, according to the Daily Mail, Ferrari are plotting a £40million deal to lure Hamilton away from Mercedes. Ferrari president John Elkann is said to be in close contact with the seven-time world champion and wants to get a deal over the line - after Hamilton called it his "dream" to drive for Ferrari.
Hamilton also spoke about his future earlier this month. He said: "I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought about ending my career anywhere else. I started at McLaren, I'd like to think I'll always be a part of the McLaren family, I started there when I was 13 years old so I thought about what it would look like if I was at McLaren one day.
"I thought about and watched the Ferrari drivers on the screens at the track and of course you wonder what it would be like to be in red."
It is understood that Ferrari's preferred option is to partner Hamilton with current driver Charles Leclerc, which would see Carlos Sainz Jr leave the team. An alternative option is Leclerc moving to Mercedes to partner George Russell, which would be a straight swap.
Hamilton's decision is set to come down to who he feels he can win the F1 world title with again as he attempts to pip Schumacher to a record eighth. The Stevenage-born driver's last title came back in 2020 after he secured his fourth world championship on the bounce to continue his dominance on the sport.
However, three years on and Mercedes have fallen down the pecking order, although Toto Wolff is hopeful of keeping the seven-time champion at the company. He managed to sow up his relationship with Hamilton after it initially broke down following Nico Rosberg's departure in 2016.
"Trust is a bit of a topic for him and me, and you need to earn trust, test it, and only then can you trust and we built it up over the years," he told ESPN. "We had some tough moments, like in 2016 but we tackled it right away.
"It's like [what] I have with Susie [Wolff, his wife] – if I have an issue you pick up the phone immediately and speak. Everything is being discussed and you clear the air, or you agree to disagree. And with him since then we have been super strong."
