Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes after ‘amazing 11 years,' set to join Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1/Mercedes-AMG
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Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton bids farewell to Mercedes, embarking on a new challenge with Ferrari starting in 2025.
Hamilton Makes Ferrari Dream a Reality, Leaving Mercedes After Iconic Partnership
In a shocking turn of events, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton will be departing from Mercedes at the end of the upcoming season to join Ferrari starting in 2025.
The 39-year-old British driver has been a pivotal figure at Mercedes, a team he joined as a teenager. "I have had an amazing 11 years with this team, and I'm so proud of what we have achieved together," Hamilton said in a statement. "Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It's a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. But the time is right for me to take this step, and I'm excited to be taking on a new challenge."
Ferrari officially confirmed Hamilton's move via their social media platform X, announcing that he would be joining on a multi-year contract in 2025. The news generated immense excitement, amassing 176,000 likes within the first 40 minutes. Hamilton is expected to replace Carlos Sainz at the storied Italian team when Sainz’s contract expires at the end of 2024. Ferrari’s other driver, Charles Leclerc, recently signed a new long-term deal.
Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari brings an end to a remarkable partnership with Mercedes. Since joining the team in 2013, Hamilton has won six world titles between 2014 and 2020. However, Mercedes has struggled to maintain its dominance, and Hamilton has not won a race since 2021. Mercedes confirmed that Hamilton triggered a release clause in the deal he signed last year, ending his tenure that had been the sport's most successful driver-team partnership according to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
"However, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come," Wolff acknowledged. "We accept Lewis's decision to seek a fresh challenge, and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate. But for now, we still have one season to go, and we are focused on racing to deliver a strong 2024."
Hamilton expressed his gratitude for Mercedes’ unwavering support and Wolff’s leadership. "I am 100% committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows one to remember," he added. The new season kicks off with the Bahrain Grand Prix on February 28.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloThe move to Ferrari also fulfills a long-held dream for Hamilton. In an interview with ESPN last year, Hamilton said he would be "lying" if he had "never thought about ending my career anywhere else." Reflecting on Ferrari, he stated, "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."
Former world champion Damon Hill suggested that Hamilton is still affected by the controversial end to the 2021 season when he lost the championship lead in the final moments of the last race. Hill surmised, "Maybe he didn't think there were strong enough signs from Mercedes that they'd solved their problems, that they were going to give him an all-conquering car. He doesn't want to hang around to make up numbers."
Hill believes Ferrari offers the necessary motivation for Hamilton’s final push. "Maybe Ferrari is just that added spice that you need to motivate yourself one more time for another last push at it - and what a way to go out if you're with Ferrari," he said. When asked if Hamilton’s move to Ferrari would enhance his chances of clinching another title, Hill responded poignantly, "If Ferrari's chances are as good as Mercedes', then why not Ferrari? Ferrari has that cachet. It's also something different; there's always a spring in your step if you change to a new team, the optimism of going somewhere different."
Lewis Hamilton's career shift promises exciting new chapters for both him and the global motorsport community.
