Talks between Charles Leclerc and Mercedes are an "open secret", according to Italian journalist and Ferrari insider Leo Turrini.
While under contract until the end of next year, the Monegasque has become increasingly frustrated at the Scuderia after last season's early promise faded and a "disastrous" start to the season in 2023.
As a result, there has been growing speculation Leclerc is eyeing a potential move to Mercedes, replacing Lewis Hamilton who has yet to sign a new deal beyond this year.
And writing in his Quotidiano blog, Turrini went into more detail.
“That Leclerc is talking to Mercedes is the open secret,” he wrote. “Everyone knows it, from the remote garage in Maranello to the Indian Ocean.
“In his unfinished career, he showed flashes of pure class. He is the first to know that time is passing.
“[George] Russell is very, very strong. But if Hamilton were to stop, whoever pays in Stuttgart might not accept another Bottas alongside a driver who is not yet a World Champion."
One possibility that was rumoured earlier this year was a straight swap between Leclerc and Hamilton, with the latter always linked to an empty seat at Ferrari.
But... "I know that Hamilton has never been close to the Reds. There was never a negotiation. Never," Turrini revealed.
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“It is true that John Elkann, who became president after [Sergio] Marchionne’s death, asked for information on Hamilton’s contract.
"We were in 2019, [Sebastian] Vettel was almost at the end of his credits, but Lewis having won titles in a flurry, was not in the least interested in the prospect.
“Today, 2023, with the contracts in force in Maranello we are talking about 2025, the media hit would be sensational. But Ferrari needs much more than a marketing operation.”
And there's another reason why Hamilton simply wouldn't consider a Ferrari switch now...
“What could convince Hamilton to close up shop at a Scuderia that hasn’t touched the ball for almost twenty years?” he continued.
“Not the money: he is richer than Sardanapalus. Not the emotional challenge: a champion goes where he thinks he can be the added value that transforms podiums into victories.
“But [Max] Verstappen wouldn’t make it with the current Ferrari,” Turrini claimed, adding that in a battle between Verstappen and Hamilton in the same car he feels "the Dutchman would win".
