“I remember getting off the phone and, like, almost shaking”: Lewis Hamilton pulls back the curtain on his first call with Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur

Lewis Hamilton recalled the day in 2023 when he first spoke to the Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur. Speaking about the day in a recent interview with Time Magazine, the Brit revealed how he became nervous after the call that was about to send ripples across the F1 fraternity.

Shortly after Hamilton signed an extension to race with Mercedes for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Vasseur called him to ask if he would switch to the Prancing Horse in 2025. The British driver, who had freshly signed with the Silver Arrows in 2023, was initially puzzled and did not know how to react.

"I remember getting off the phone and, like, almost shaking," Hamilton told Time. "I was like, Oh God! I was like, Holy sh-t. I literally just signed with Mercedes. It was a lot to take in, and my emotions were really high. So I honestly had to go for a walk."

Following this, he added how he made up his mind and was getting ready to pull off one of the biggest moves in Formula 1 history.

"My eyes felt really calm and present. This is the right thing for me. We’re in a time of reimagining the future, reimagining what really dreaming is about. I’m going to Ferrari, man, and that’s the biggest dream.”

As the news of Hamilton's move to Ferrari broke, it indeed sent ripples across the F1 fraternity. From fans and experts to fellow drivers and rival bosses, everyone was in shock as the seven-time world champion decided to join the most successful team in F1 history.

Finally, at the end of 2024, Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari on a multi-year deal and replaced Williams-bound Carlos Sainz. He joined his former boss from F2, Fred Vasseur, and teammate, Charles Leclerc.

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"No bad blood": Lewis Hamilton summed up his relationship with Mercedes

During his interview with Time Magazine, Lewis Hamilton also touched upon his relationship with Mercedes, the team he raced for over a decade. Mentioning his bond and what the future holds for the Silver Arrows, he said:

"There is no bad blood. Absolutely not. We won so many championships. They have all the ingredients to win world championships, and they will win more world championships. I have no doubt.”

Lewis Hamilton driving in his last race for Mercedes at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton arrived at Mercedes from McLaren in 2013 and raced for the Brackley team for 12 years.

During these years, he claimed six of his seven F1 titles and helped the German team achieve eight constructors' championships. Mercedes replaced Hamilton with prodigy Kimi Antonelli.