Lewis Hamilton says past discussions with Ferrari over a sensational move to the Scuderia never panned out, because positions between the two parties "never aligned".
Hamilton has never hidden his fascination with the House of Maranello, indeed even owning a few prestigious Ferrari road cars.
But whenever it came to his prospects of joining the Italian outfit, the Briton never felt enticed by the options tabled by Ferrrai.
"We talked on occasion, but we didn’t go beyond understanding what options were on the table and they weren’t the right ones," Hamilton said in an interview with Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport.
But Hamilton revealed that timing in the past had also been a crucial factor, with the gates to the Scuderia closed whenever his Mercedes contract was up for renewal.
"Our positions have never aligned," he added. "I think timing matters and things happen in the end for a reason.
"In recent seasons my contract always expired in years different from that of all the other drivers. In the end, that’s' how it went."
Had the seven-time world champion moved to Ferrari, its unclear whether he would have enjoyed the same margin of maneuver that he enjoys at Mercedes, regarding his life beyond racing and his recent moving and shaking as an activist and promoter of diversity.
When Hamilton considered leaving McLaren to join Mercedes, having a free rein in terms being able to express himself was a prerequisite.
"At McLaren I grew a lot but they had certain expectations about how a driver should behave and they contrasted with the fact that I have always been an outsider, a nonconformist," he said.
"Before signing with Mercedes, I said: ‘Look, I’m different from others. Let me be myself, let me experience [things] because I have to find out who I am. In any case, I help you and make the brand grow in the world of young people in a better way’. And that’s what happened."
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