Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari talks “unusually swift”, the quickest a lawyer has seen

Lewis Hamilton’s agreement with Ferrari has been cited as the fastest agreement that a lawyer has ever seen in Formula 1.

The decision for the sport’s most successful ever driver to link up with its most successful ever team is seismic and has made headlines all over the world.

Yet, behind-the-scenes it was faster for Hamilton and Ferrari to strike a deal than many other driver moves.

“The negotiations were exceptionally, unusually swift,” The Guardian report.

They report a lawyer who claims “the contract as the quickest they had dealt with in F1”.

A source told the British newspaper about Hamilton and Ferrari’s negotiation: “Once they started talking it was very easy.”

Ferrari were reportedly “excited” as soon as talks began.

Toto Wolff and Mercedes were caught “completely off guard” in part because of Ferrari’s desire “to move very quickly and very generously”.

The newspaper suggests that a deal may have been agreed in the in the “post-Christmas period”.

Hamilton activated an escape clause in the Mercedes contract that he penned last year, enabling him to leave after the 2024 F1 season.

He will sensationally wear the red of the Scuderia in 2025 and beyond.

The speed that Hamilton and Ferrari allegedly agreed terms is a shock in itself.

It is not uncommon for an F1 driver’s move to a rival team to be a tricky process yet, incredibly, the grandest move of all time somehow was a straightforward negotiation.

It is anticipated that his earnings will sky-rocket from the already very healthy pay-packet Mercedes were paying him.

$100 million per year has been estimated by Formu1a.uno factoring in Hamilton’s salary, sponsors, image rights and bonuses.

The stunning news was broken to Wolff in person on Wednesday, before it was communicated in a team meeting to Mercedes staff at Brackley on Thursday.

Hamilton has described the move to Ferrari as a “dream”.

But, before it becomes a reality, he has an entire season at Mercedes to get through. He insists that his current focus remains solely on Mercedes.

They hope the W15 will give Hamilton a fresh chance at catching Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.