Updated1. February 2024, 23:36
Formula 1: It’s official, Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025
The Mercedes team announced it at the start of the evening: the British driver will change teams at the end of the season. What the Scuderia confirmed.
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by Lucien Willem
Lewis Hamilton has been driving for Mercedes since 2013.
AFP
The rumor grew suddenly this Thursday and several media relayed it, then it was confirmed in the evening by Mercedes, then by Ferrari: Lewis Hamilton will leave the German team to join the Scuderia from the 2025 season .
Hamilton, seven times Formula 1 world champion, was under contract with the German manufacturer for the next two seasons, but he will therefore leave the team led by Toto Wolff at the end of the financial year which begins on March 2 in Bahrain .
After the rumor circulated in several specialized media in the morning, it was first the British channel Sky Sports which confirmed the information.
This news follows Charles Leclerc’s contract extension with Ferrari for several years. The other driver of the Italian team, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who had a contract until the end of the season will therefore have to find another wheel.
Six titles in seven years
With this shock transfer, Hamilton leaves Mercedes eleven years after his arrival in 2013. World champion for the first time with McLaren in 2008, the British driver added six other titles to his record between 2015 and 2020 (his teammate Nico Rosberg had beaten by nothing in 2016).
Lewis Hamilton’s dominance of Formula 1 ended with the rise of Max Verstappen, winner of the last three world championships. The Briton’s last victory dates back to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in December 2021. Last season, he finished in third place in the drivers’ standings, more than 340 points behind the Dutchman.
“A difficult decision”
On social media, Lewis Hamilton explained his choice: “I have had 11 great years with this team and I am very proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13. It’s a place I grew up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
“But the time has come for me to take this step and I am looking forward to a new challenge. I will forever be grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto for his friendship and leadership, and I want to end on a high together.”
“I am 100% committed to delivering the best possible performance this season and to making my last year with the Silver Arrows a memorable year.”
Lewis Hamilton has signed for several seasons with Ferrari, as the Italian team confirmed in the evening: “Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will join the team in 2025, on a contract for several seasons”.