Could Lewis Hamilton be tempted?
When talking about possible successors to Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari, the elephant in the room has got to be Lewis Hamilton. There's been wild speculation in the F1 paddock for months now that Hamilton is tempted by the allure of racing for Ferrari. After all, there are few professional drivers who don't dream of donning the red firesuit and being hailed by the Tifosi.
With the situation at Mercedes appearing to be fraying at the edges - the loss of Niki Lauda last year, followed by doubts about whether the manufacturer even wants to stay in the sport, and signs that Toto Wolff is also seeking fresh challenges - it wouldn't be altogether a surprise if Hamilton decided to follow that dream and end his F1 career at its zenith by delivering the world championship to Ferrari.
Will there always be an itch in the back of Hamilton's mind whispering, "What if...?"
Would Ferrari be interested in signing Hamilton? To be honest, it's hard to see why they wouldn't jump at the chance. The Scuderia's obsession with winning another world title has seen them repeatedly turn to former world champions to bolster their efforts and fire up their campaigns: Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel have all been cut from the same cloth. Hamilton would fit right in.
The only wrinkle in the plan appears to be how Hamilton would react to the challenge and threat of having Charles Leclerc as his team mate. It's very possible that Hamilton wouldn't be the clear number one driver at Ferrari, which would be bruising to the ego of a six- (or perhaps by then, seven-) time world champion. Staying put at Mercedes might be the safer option for Hamilton - but in that case, will there always be an itch in the back of his mind whispering, "What if...?"
