Two key members of the Mercedes team and close allies of Lewis Hamilton are 'not keen' on making the move to Ferrari from 2005, according to reports.
Hamilton shocked the F1 world when his switch from Mercedes to Ferrari was confirmed on Thursday evening.
The 39-year-old signed a new two-year contract with the Silver Arrows in August, with that deal believed to cover the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
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But reports emerged on Thursday morning that the second year was merely an option - opening the door to a stunning move to Ferrari.
Hamilton will drive for Mercedes in the upcoming 2024 season, before then replacing Carlos Sainz at the Scuderia upon the expiry of the Spaniard's contract.
The Brit will end an association with Mercedes that spans 25 years, with the company having previously been involved as an engine supplier at his former team McLaren.
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One of Hamilton's key allies at Mercedes has been his race engineer Peter Bonnington, whom the seven-time world champion credits as playing a significant role in his success in the sport.
Track engineering director Andrew Shovlin is also a crucial figure at Mercedes. Having been race engineer to Michael Schumacher in 2010, he was also famously the race engineer during Jenson Button's title-winning season at Brawn GP in 2009.
But according to Motorsport.com journalist Kemal Sengul, Bonnington and Shovlin are said to be 'not keen' on making the move to Maranello currently.
It is said that they are the first names that Hamilton wants to bring with him to Ferrari, suggesting that there may be other team members that the Scuderia will potentially line up.
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The Brit does have the advantage of time on his side, though, as he will still work alongside Bonnington and Shovlin at Mercedes this year.
Enough time for them to change their minds? We'll have to wait to find out.
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Formula 1
