The Ferrari boss ran Lewis Hamilton as a junior driver when he won the GP2 title in 2006.

Frederic Vasseur has joked that if Lewis Hamilton signed a contract every time he had spoken with the Mercedes driver, it “cost me a fortune.”

Vasseur and Hamilton are close with the seven-time World Champion securing the 2006 GP2 title with Vasseur’s ART squad, with Vasseur confirming that he had spoken with Hamilton Azerbaijan as his Mercedes future was in doubt.

In August at the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes that will take him to 41 years old, indicating a long-rumoured move to Ferrari could be off the table.

Vasseur also confirmed when he expects deals for current drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to be renewed.

Vasseur on Hamilton talks

“I’m talking with Lewis each week or each month for 20 years, so I can’t say that I didn’t speak with Lewis at one stage, as we are always in contact,” Vasseur told media including RacingNews365.

“It’s true because half of the grid drove for me in the past, and in Baku, I had a discussion with Lewis in the paddock, and it started to go everywhere, but if he signed a contract with me each time that we spoke in the past, it would cost me a fortune!”

Vasseur also touched on Max Verstappen, believing any team “would be pleased” to welcome the reigning triple World Champion, while also giving a cryptic update on current drivers Leclerc and Sainz.

“It could be the target [that new deals are agreed with both] before race one,” explained the Frenchman.