Lewis Hamilton will ‘cement his place in history’ with Ferrari move

Lewis Hamilton can further cement his greatness by breaking Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world titles at another team in 2021, according to two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.

Hamilton has mooted the possibility of a cross-grid switch when his current Mercedes contract expires at the end of this season.

The 35-year-old won his maiden title at McLaren – where Fittipaldi won the second of his world titles – before clinching five drivers’ crowns in the last six years. He is the red-hot favourite to equal Schumacher’s record this season.

But after Hamilton shared the Laureus world sportsman of the year crown with Lionel Messi in Berlin last night, Fittipaldi told Standard Sport: “I’d like to see him go to one of the other top three teams and winning a world title elsewhere would add to his curriculum. To win a world title for yet another team, that would make him even greater.”

Hamilton has already held talks with Ferrari about a possible switch while Mercedes are tabling as much as a £180million offer to keep the Briton for another three years.

Whether he stays put or heads elsewhere, Brazilian Fittipaldi believes Hamilton will go into the record books as the greatest driver in F1 history.

“The numbers don’t lie,” he said. “I’m sure there’s more winning ahead of him to create history. In any sport, it’s all about the numbers. That’s what counts and I think he can break that record. He has the physical condition, the psychological and spiritual condition to go forward.”

Hamilton’s sixth world title saw him beat off competition from the likes of Eliud Kipchoge, Marc Marquez, Rafael Nadal and Tiger Woods, to win his second Laureus award having won the breakthrough honour with his maiden title win in 2008.

And Fittipaldi, who spent 11 seasons in F1, said he did not expect the sport’s current frontrunner to lack for motivation going into what will be his 14th season, with the first winter test looming in Barcelona next week.

He added: “You have to be fully motivated at this level – the desire to win has to exist for success. He has that, he has the mental strength but most of all he just wants to win, win, win. He has the desire plus he also still has the enjoyment for the sport. He needs a positive atmosphere around him and he has that.”