Ferrari veteran offers reason why Hamilton will not join team

Ferrari's long-term associate Marc Gene believes that Lewis Hamilton "does not fit" into the team, amid rumours over his future with Mercedes.

Hamilton's contract with Mercedes ends this year but he has yet to negotiate terms for an extension, leading to speculation that he could be looking elsewhere on the grid.

Mercedes has suffered poor form throughout 2022 and at the start of 2023, while Ferrari has managed to close the gap to Red Bull.

But Ferrari has struggled to maintain their form since the start of last season, with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failing to win any race so far in 2023.

However, Gene believes that it is unlikely that Ferrari will look to replacing anyone in the driver lineup with Hamilton due to the differences in 'philosophy' between the two teams.

"I'm not the one who decides the drivers, but knowing the Scuderia now [he] doesn't fit into their philosophy and I see him finishing his career in Mercedes," he told sport.es.

Speculation has been rife over whether Hamilton would be tempted to join the team for a headline figure of $40 million, however he dismissed the rumours in Monaco.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff also confirmed they are in a "super happy position" with Hamilton and that negotiations are ongoing about his future at the team.