Hamilton wants to win his eighth title with Ferrari, insists Ferrari President Elkann

Ferrari President John Elkann explained the reasons for Lewis Hamilton's decision to leave his current team and join the Scuderia, claiming that the Briton is intent on securing his eighth title with the Italian outfit.

Ferrari made a shock announcement at the start of February, confirming the arrival of Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion was going to race for Mercedes until at least the end of the 2025 F1 season, but he activated an exit clause that allowed him to leave the Brackley-based outfit where he secured six of his seven F1 world titles.

The Briton stood in the background in the past two years as his team struggled for a consistent performance despite flashes of speed. However, he won his first F1 race at Silverstone just a month ago, ending his long winless period that started at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Hamilton is statistically the most successful Formula One driver, tied with the great German racer Michael Schumacher on seven world titles. But the Briton has more race wins, having clinched a total of 105 victories so far compared to Schumacher's 91 F1 wins.

Speaking of Hamilton's motivation, Ferrari President John Elkann said that the Briton wants to secure his record-breaking eighth F1 title with the Scuderia.

The New York-born businessman recently visited the Italian team's base in France at Casa Italia, located in the Bois de Boulogne park in Paris, where he attended several Olympic races before returning to his regular duties.

Speaking in an interview with Corriere dello Sport, Elkann noted: “Some things happen very quickly. This was the moment he and Ferrari met.

"He wants to win the eighth title, Ferrari wants to win and with Lewis he is stronger. He doesn't come to Ferrari to enjoy retirement and it's important to have motivated people around, who want to win.”

Although Hamilton will turn 40 next January, Elkann is not concerned about the Briton's age, noting that it only means that he will bring valuable experience to Ferrari.

“In Formula 1 there is now real competition, with 4 teams very close together: Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes. It is important to always go to the maximum of their potential: those who have more experience have more regularity as demonstrated by Hamilton and also Alonso himself. And regularity matters," Elkann concluded.