Lewis Hamilton says he hasn’t ruled out driving for Ferrari in the future and many of their fans have encouraged him to join the team.

Although Hamilton has been booed by some in the crowd following his recent victories at Monza, the Mercedes driver says he has also had positive comments from Ferrari fans.

“I’m very lucky, I do have a good Italian following. I think Germany’s maybe the biggest area where my clothes sell but Italy also is one of the bigger areas, maybe just because they’re really into fashion and like good clothes. But I think it’s grown a lot over the years. It takes a long time to shift perception.

“You still come here and stand on top of the podium and 90-plus percent is all Ferrari fans and often they come here and I’ve made the weekend not so great for Ferrari fans by having Mercedes on the top step. But I appreciate and respect them a huge amount.

“In fact when I now come a lot of Ferrari fans ask me to come to Ferrari so it’s quite cool. I get a lot of messages from Ferrari fans who say ‘I’m a Ferrari fan but I respect you’. So I think it’s growing slowly, bit by bit. It’ll never be the same as if I was driving for the Ferrari team but nonetheless, bit by bit, it’s shifting.”

Hamilton has started all of his 242 grands prix with a Mercedes engine and is contracted to the team until the end of the 2020 F1 season. But he hasn’t ruled out seeking a drive at Ferrari one day.

“When you’re part of Mercedes you’re part of a family for a lifetime,” he said. “Providing you stay with them, obviously.

“If you look at Stirling Moss, [Juan Manuel] Fangio who are still honoured within the family, you’re part of the history and they look after you for the rest of your life. That’s important to me. Loyalty is a very key part.

“If there’s a point in my life where I decide I want to change then that potentially could be an option. But I don’t know if that is at the moment.”

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2019 F1 season