Hamilton has clause which prevents from repeating what Schumacher did

Lewis Hamilton has a ‘non-poaching’ clause in his contract which can forestall him from luring key Mercedes personnel to affix him at Ferrari subsequent season.

The seven-time world champion dropped a bombshell this month by asserting that he’ll go away Mercedes on the finish of the season and fulfil his dream of driving for the game’s most well-known staff. 

This opened up options that senior employees at Mercedes who he has constructed an in depth rapport with – resembling engineer Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington – might observe him to the Italian outfit. 

However, Autosport have reported that there’s a ‘non-poaching’ clause in his Mercedes contract, stopping staff personnel from making the transfer alongside Hamilton.

This will forestall him from repeating what Michael Schumacher did when the legendary Formula One star made the swap from Benetton to Ferrari in 1996. 

Lewis Hamilton will go away Mercedes on the finish of the season to fulfil his dream transfer to Ferrari

A clause in his contract means he shall be unable to lure key Mercedes personnel – resembling race engineer Pete Bonnington (proper) – to make the swap with him to the Italian outfit

Michael Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996 and was in a position to lure key personnel to observe him from Benneton to the Italian outfit

Schumacher, who gained back-to-back titles with Benneton within the two years prior, was given free rein at Ferrari, because the staff struggled to compete with Williams who clinched the 1996 championship with Damon Hill. 

During his first season at Ferrari, Schumacher was in a position to lure Benetton’s technical director Ross Brawn and chief designer Rory Byrne to affix the German driver at his new staff. 

Both males performed influential roles in Schumacher’s success at Ferrari, profitable 5 straight drivers’ titles between 2000 and 2004.

Schumacher’s first title with Ferrari introduced an finish to a 21-year wait to win a world title.

Ferrari are on one other barren run as 2024 will mark 17-years since Kimi Raikkonen final delivered them a drivers’ championship. 

Hamilton is aware of staff principal Frederic Vasseur after they labored collectively throughout his GP2 profitable title season of 2006. 

The 39-year-old although will not discover many acquainted faces when he joins the staff in 2025. 

Hamilton has constructed an in depth bond with race engineer Bonnington, and Mercedes staff principal Toto Wolff admitted that they may have a dialogue sooner or later.

Schumacher gained the primary two of his seven drivers’ titles in 1994 and 1995 with the Benetton staff

He was then in a position to lure Ross Brawn (proper) and Rory Byrne to go away Benetton and be part of him at Ferrari – with each taking part in an enormous half within the staff profitable 5 straight titles within the early 2000s

He stated: ‘I believe this can be a dialogue which everybody must have within the months to come back,’ Wolff stated.

‘And as a lot as I’ve spoken with Bono already, after I advised him [about Hamilton’s move] he stated, ‘Is it April the primary?’ That’s one thing which we’ll focus on sooner or later.’

Hamilton’s £40m swap to Ferrari will see him accomplice proficient Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc and exchange Spaniard Carlos Sainz. 

Hamilton will be part of Ferrari after profitable six of his seven world-titles at Mercedes 

Speaking about his exit from Mercedes on social media, Hamilton wrote: ‘After an unimaginable 11 years at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 staff, the time has come for me to begin a brand new chapter in my life and I shall be becoming a member of Scuderia Ferrari in 2025.

‘I really feel extremely lucky, after reaching issues with Mercedes that I might solely have dreamed of as a child, that I now have the prospect to fulfil one other childhood dream. Driving in Ferrari purple.’