Former F1 team owner Peter Sauber reveals Lewis Hamilton’s F1 career nearly took a turn away from McLaren as he almost signed for them

Lewis Hamilton has won seven world titles and rewrote the record books. Most fans associate his rise with McLaren, the team that gave him his debut. But his journey to the top almost followed a very different route. A forgotten deal nearly changed the course of his entire career before it even began.

Hamilton eventually became world champion with McLaren and later dominated the sport with Mercedes. However, a former F1 team boss, Peter Sauber, has revealed that Hamilton was close to starting his career elsewhere. A failed loan agreement meant the British driver never joined another team for his rookie season. If that deal had gone through, Formula 1 history might look very different today.

Sauber loan deal that almost changed Lewis Hamilton’s future

Former Sauber team owner Peter Sauber revealed that Lewis Hamilton was close to driving for his team around 20 years ago. At the time, Lewis Hamilton was part of McLaren’s junior system. McLaren was looking for a place to send him so he could gain experience before becoming a full-time F1 driver.

Speaking to Blick, Sauber explained that very few people knew about this near move. He said Hamilton was expected to join Sauber as part of his Formula 1 learning process. According to him, McLaren representatives met with Hamilton, his father, Anthony, and Sauber’s legal team. The meeting took place at Kloten Airport in Switzerland. Sauber confirmed that he and team lawyer Monisha Kaltenborn were also present.

Despite serious talks, the deal never went through. Sauber said the agreement collapsed because of one key issue. McLaren only wanted Hamilton to join Sauber for one season. Sauber, however, wanted a two-year loan. Neither side was willing to change their position, so the negotiations failed.

As a result, Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2007. He won the world championship just one year later. He stayed with McLaren until the end of the 2012 season. After that, he won six more world titles with the Mercedes team before leaving at the end of the 2024 season. Hamilton then made a high-profile move to Ferrari for the 2025 season. He partnered with Charles Leclerc but struggled to find consistent success. He finished on the podium only once, winning the sprint race in China. His next best results were fourth-place finishes in Emilia-Romagna, Austria, Britain, and the United States.

Looking back, that failed Sauber deal stands out. A single contract disagreement ensured Hamilton stayed on a path that made him a Formula 1 legend.

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