Frederic Vasseur has made it clear that Ferrari did not bid or hold talks with Lewis Hamilton about a possible deal amid a flurry of speculation in the build-up to the Monaco Grand Prix.
Earlier this week, it was reported in the media that Ferrari was preparing an excellent contract to introduce Hamilton, with the seven-time world champion in the final year of his last contract with Mercedes.
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However, Hamilton denied that there have been any talks with Ferrari, while stressing that a new deal with Mercedes is “almost ready” to be signed, adding that there will “always be speculation” in the F1 paddock.
Sharing Ferrari’s side of the story, team principal Vasseur pointed to recent reports linking its current drivers, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, with rival teams and joked in response to the latest rumors involving Hamilton.
“I could say that two weeks ago you [the media] You sent Sainz to Audi and a week ago you sent Leclerc to Mercedes, and now I’m alone! said Vasseur, who was Hamilton’s team boss in his title-winning GP2 season at ART Grand Prix in 2006.
“But you know that at this point in the season you will have a different story every week. We are not sending an offer to Lewis Hamilton, we did not.
Pressed on whether no offer also means no talks, Vasseur, like Hamilton, stated: “We had no talks. I think every team on the grid would like to have Hamilton at some point, but it would suck not to say something like that.
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“If I have argued with Hamilton, I have argued for the last 20 years… I have argued almost every weekend with Hamilton. I don’t want to have to stop having arguments with him because you’re chasing me.
Ferrari pairing Sainz and Leclerc are under contract until 2024 and Vasseur added that the time for talks about their future will come in due time.
“I told you last week or two weeks ago that the most important thing for us is to stay focused on development and the current season,” Vasseur added. “In a couple of months, we will have a space to discuss the future, and it will be time to discuss.”