‘Open secret’ claim made about Hamilton’s potential Mercedes replacement

Seven-time world champion Hamilton is out of contract at the end of this year and although an extension is expected, a deal appears no closer to being signed. 

There is similar uncertainty over Leclerc’s future at Ferrari. The Monegasque, whose deal with Ferrari runs out at the end of 2024, has found himself heavily linked with Mercedes as Hamilton’s eventual successor. 

Despite Leclerc insisting that “no negotiations” have taken place with Mercedes, renowned Italian F1 journalist Leo Turrini has claimed otherwise. 

"Leclerc talking to Mercedes is an open secret," he wrote in a piece for Quotidiano Nazionale. "Everyone knows it, from the remote garage in Maranello to the Indian Ocean.”

"[George] Russell is very, very strong. But if Hamilton were to stop, whoever pays in Stuttgart might not accept another [Valtteri] Bottas alongside a driver who is not yet a world champion.”

But Turrini cannot see Hamilton making the switch to Ferrari and ending his F1 career at Maranello. 

“What would he do if he realised that he could no longer win with the Silver Arrow? I do not know,” Turrini continued. 

“I know that Hamilton has never been close to the red team. There was never a deal. Never.

“It is true that John Elkann, who became president after Marchionne’s death, asked for information on Hamilton’s contract. We were in 2019, Vettel was almost at the end of his credits, but Lewis having won titles in a flurry running alone was not in the least interested in the prospect.

“Today, 2023, but with the contracts in force in Maranello we are talking about 2025, the media hit would be sensational. But Ferrari needs much more than a marketing operation.”