Hamilton: Ferrari releasing Kimi does not make sense

Last month Ferrari did the unexpected when they decided to end Raikkonen's tenure with the team and take on young gun Chares Leclerc.

Surprisingly, and out of the blue, Sauber struck a deal with the 38-year-old who drove for them at the start of his career. Nevertheless, the stark reality is that the last man to win a title for Maranello was shown the door by Ferrari.

In an interview with Blick, Hamilton said of the news, "I don't think Kimi will change in the final races. He is an extraordinary professional, a fantastic driver. He remains one of my favourite drivers and I'm convinced that Ferrari are losing a very important driver. It does not make sense to me."

When told that Raikkonen recently wrote a book, Hamilton quipped with a laugh, "Does it have two pages?"
Actually 269 pages champ, "The letters must be very big."

On the bit in the book where Raikkonen describes a two week long drinking binge, Hamilton reacted: "What, he wrote that! Shit, that's crazy."

By promoting their protege Leclerc and dispatching their former champ Raikkonen, Ferrari have sent a clear message that Maranello is no longer Sebastian Vettel's fiefdom.

Asked if he would have a say in the Mercedes driver decision process, Hamilton said, "A difficult question that ends with one word: trust."

"The atmosphere at Mercedes from the ground right up to the executive floor is unique. I am grateful for that. The balance has to be right, the energy and the trust. [When making a driver decision] I would just say Toto be careful!"

He also revealed that his love affair with his team, who have helped him to three F1 world titles already (a fourth beckoning) will be a long term one, "I think they will support me for the next 20 years. I gave them a lot. I also brought Tommy Hilfiger to the team, helped make sure the right engineers came to us.

Asked of he could see himself in Formula 1 when he is 38, Hamilton replied, "Five years? I don't know. Ask me at the end of 2020 again..."