Why is a Hamilton for Leclerc swap impossible in 2024?

With only six points scored in three races, Charles Leclerc is currently only in tenth place in the driver standings. His performances have been overshadowed by an engine failure in Bahrain and a track excursion in Australia.

The emerging rumors of discussions between the Monegasque driver and the Mercedes team, as well as the fact that his team would like to change his teammate Carlos Sainz, were commented on by Dr. Helmut Marko, head of the Red Bull family.

For Leo Turini, an Italian journalist and close to the Ferrari Scuderia, the fact that Leclerc and Mercedes have exchanges is no more than an open secret.

(e) Everyone knows it, including in Maranello,” he said. (e) Leclerc knows that time is running out and if Lewis Hamilton decides to leave, either to retire or join Ferrari, then Mercedes will want to find a high-level driver to pair with George Russell.

Leclerc has a contract until 2024, except that…

Arriving at the legendary team based in Maranello in 2019, Leclerc has a contract until the end of the following season. However, this situation, once again, does not guarantee, in any way, protection against an early separation for Helmut Marko. The Austrian states that these performance clauses are common nowadays.

They basically state that a driver must have a certain number of points at a certain moment in the season, usually at the end of the summer, for the contract to be automatically renewed.

If this is not the case, both parties have the possibility to terminate the contract. For this reason, Sebastian Vettel was able to move to Ferrari very easily in 2015.

Hamilton has not yet renewed his contract with Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton signed his contract with Mercedes in July 2021, thereby extending his commitment to his team and long-standing engine supplier for two more years. Hamilton has been part of the Mercedes family since he was spotted by Ron Dennis at the age of 13. Since then, he has never driven with any engine other than Mercedes.

Last September, the seven-time world champion in search of an 8th title explained his desire to potentially stay with Mercedes until his death. « I think I will always be with Mercedes until the day I die. I feel capable of racing a bit longer, so I will potentially lean towards that. »

Lewis Hamilton’s current contract ends in 2023, so several options are possible. Retirement, extension, or transfer elsewhere.

Hamilton wants to secure an 8th world championship title and thus leave a lasting mark in history. Therefore, he must find himself in a top team for that. Currently, only Ferrari and Red Bull have shown in recent years that they have the ability to win races and compete for the title.

Going to Red Bull seems unlikely, just like going to Ferrari given the statements of the English driver. But at Red Bull, nobody has the intention of leaving the team. Indeed, the Red Bulls are unbeatable this season in 2023 and both Verstappen and Perez have every reason to want to stay.

This is not the case at Ferrari. If a spot becomes available at Ferrari, Mercedes might be tempted to hire a younger driver than Lewis Hamilton. This would then force Hamilton to turn to Ferrari. This means that Leclerc would have to leave Ferrari prematurely or Hamilton would have to accept joining the Scuderia.

Neither one nor the other is likely at the sight of both the contract, the performances of the two teams, and Hamilton’s statements.

The Aston Martin option?

Another option for Hamilton to continue being part of the Mercedes family would be to drive for Aston Martin. The team based in Silverstone currently has the second-best car after Red Bull and, most importantly, has a Mercedes engine.

However, neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll are likely to leave. Alonso cannot go to Mercedes and Lance Stroll is at home, in the team owned by his father.