, Ferrari president John Elkann personally contacted Hꦕamilton over a move to the Scuderia.

Hamilton is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of F1 2023, and his f🥂uture has been a hot topic throughout this season.

Earlier in the year, the Daily Mail reported that Ferrari were 🔥offering £40 million to sign Hamilton.

Ferrari’s advan🐓ces appear to be futile with Hamilton set to sign a new deal with Mercede🐼s.

• ‘Even if Ferrari pay him double, Lewi💫s Hamilton knows things won’t go better’

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport,⭕ Vasseur addressed the Hamilton to Ferrari speculation.

“I talk to him at every grand 🧜prix, he raced for me twenty years ago and we're still close,” he said. “I helped him when he went to McLaren at the start of ꩵhis F1 career and we talk occasionally. 

“Clearly if they see us together in the paddock a fuss comes out. I don't want to compare him to our drivers, it wouldn't make sense. But the contribution of a top driver isn't just driving, it's𓆏 also technical, strategy, help in hiring an engineer. 

“And in this case, if you have Hamilton, [Max] Verstappen but also [Charles] Leclerc, it's easier. Anyone who works in F1 is passionate about racing, they like working w𓆉ith champ💧ions.”

It’s been a lacklustre 2023 campaign for Ferraꦿri, picking up just three podiums in the first 12 races of the season.

Vasseur confirmed that wind tunnel development has stopped on the year’s car but they will introduce upgrad♈es in Qat꧂ar and Austin.

"For this season we stopped development in the wind tunnel a🙈t the end of🐻 July, but we have pieces already approved and in the works that we will take to Qatar or Austin,” he explained. “For the car for 2024, we are still at the philosophical concepts. 

"The numbers say that you have to be aggressive in the project but with simulations and equations we are already at the maximum. We havꦇe to think differently, find margins thanks to which the drivers can drive without always being at the limit. 

“And in any case, the deadline for the new car is not the end of the year. We have t♛o be ready for Bahrain 🍌in March. We still have many months ahead of us."