Mercedes prevent Hamilton from driving for Ferrari in post-season test
“I haven’t even asked Toto, Lewis has a contract,” Vasseur admitted, although he will give Sainz the chance to drive the Williams in Abu Dhabi.
Carlos Sainz will make his debut behind the wheel of the Williams on Tuesday 10 December at Yas Marina, two days after the Abu Dhabi GP. But the fact that Ferrari has agreed to let Carlos make his debut with his new team does not mean that all the teams are going to give in to their drivers who change allegiances.
In fact, Fred Vasseur himself confirmed this Thursday in Las Vegas that Lewis Hamilton will not get into a car manufactured by Maranello until 2025. Why? Ask Toto Wolff...
Vasseur explains Sainz’s situation
“The story with Carlos is that I want to thank Carlos for the collaboration and I don’t want to block him or whatever,” Vasseur told reporters at the Las Vegas Grand Prix team principals' press conference.
“I think he did a very good job with us this season and a very professional one, because it would have been easy not to give up but not to have such a professional attitude. And for me the best way to thank Carlos was to give him the opportunity to do the test with Williams.”
“(Lewis) no, he has a contract and we have to respect it. It’s not because we are doing something for Carlos that everybody has to do the same. As Toto said, I didn’t ask him,” the Frenchman concluded.
Events planned for Hamilton’s farewell
And Wolff, present at the FIA press conference, replied: “Fred didn’t ask. I think it’s a different… also if you’re moving to Williams. We have contractual agreements with sponsors, we’re having a farewell for Lewis, we’re having lots of activities that are planned. Lewis and I, we spoke about it shortly, and he said, ‘I guess that’s not going to work. And I said, ‘yeah, I don’t think it’s going to work.’ And that was the whole thing, so I don’t think Fred is particularly sad”.
Drivers usually sign contracts until December 31, so they need express permission to take part in the end-of-season test with another team. And it’s a sensitive issue.
Alonso, for example, had to drive an unsponsored Aston Martin at the end of 2022 so as not to conflict with all the advertising agreements of Alpine, which was still his employer.
So Lewis will have to wait for the classic test day at Fiorano to get into a red car. He could drive without restrictions a car that is two or more years old, such as the SF-23, which will be two years old in 2025.