Harry Fletcher
Feb 01, 2024
Sky Sports
Lewis Hamilton is reportedly leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari in the biggest F1 story in modern times – but Manchester United fans have found a way to make it all about them, albeit in a thoroughly tongue-in-cheek way.
It comes amid reports Hamilton has agreed a move to the Italian motoring giants for 2025 after more than a decade with Mercedes, where he won seven world championships.
Now, like most football fans, United supporters are always looking for an angle that suits their club – and they think they’ve found one.
Even though it’s a completely different sport, and it wouldn’t be until 2025 that Hamilton would complete the move if it happens at all.
However, a handful of United fans have joked online that the Hamilton move will help them sign Kylian Mbappé. After all, it is transfer deadline day.
Getty
Let us explain.
Mercedes are sponsored by INEOS. And who is the CEO of INEOS? Jim Ratcliffe, who is the new partial owner of Manchester United.
So… fans have been jokingly saying that the money INEOS would save in sponsorship if Hamilton left could instead be spent on securing a superstar like Paris Saint Germain's Mbappe.
Obviously, it doesn’t quite work like that, and if the move doesn’t go through until 2025 then Mbappe could well have joined a club like Real Madrid by that point.
But still, we admire the chutzpah of these United fans.
Neither Mercedes, Ferrari or Hamilton have commented on the rumour.
During an interview with ESPN in May 2023, Hamilton did say: "I thought about and watched the Ferrari drivers on the screens at the track and of course you wonder what it would be like to be in red."
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