However, Sainz's father Carlos Sr has claimed that Hamilton took it upon himself to enquire about the possibility of joining Ferrari. He told El Cafelito: "I wouldn’t describe it as the Scuderia behaving badly. The circumstances of the perfect storm have arisen.

Carlos Sainz Sr has claimed Lewis Hamilton was the one who initiated first contact with Ferrari ahead of his blockbuster F1 switch. Last February Hamilton shocked the F1 world by announcing he would be leaving Mercedes after 12 years to complete a move to rivals Ferrari in 2025.

Carlos Sainz Sr has praised the way his son and Ferrari parted ways after four years together, as Lewis Hamilton arrived at Maranello.

Lewis Hamilton has made his hotly anticipated debut in a Ferrari car on track as the team prepare for the 2025 Formula 1 season. The seven-time world champion battled thick fog that greeted him at Ferrari's Maranello HQ - a good omen as fellow seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher also battled the fog on his first day at Ferrari back in 1995.