Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton will join Scuderia Ferrari in 2025


Philippe Folgado // Photo credit: TOLGA BOZOGLU / POOL / AFP
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9:53 p.m., February 1, 2024

This is certainly the transfer of the century. Lewis Hamilton, seven times Formula 1 world champion, will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season to join the legendary Ferrari team. At the end of the coming season, the British driver will have spent 12 seasons at the wheel of a Mercedes, winning six world championship titles (2014-2015-2017-2018-2019-2020).

“We knew our partnership would end naturally”

It was just a rumor at the start of the day, started by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, it finally became information confirmed by everyone at the beginning of the evening. The British driver, who had nevertheless renewed his contract with Mercedes for two more seasons last August, finally decided to activate a release clause to leave earlier. At 8 p.m., the German team published an official press release indicating that its driver has decided to activate a release clause which allows him to leave the team before the end of his contract.

“The decision to leave was one of the most difficult I have ever had to make,” continued Lewis Hamilton, assuring that he “spent eleven extraordinary years with this team”. “The time has come for me to take this step and I am excited to take on a new challenge.”

Toto Wolff, team principal, said he accepts “Lewis’ decision to seek a new challenge and our opportunities for the future are exciting to consider. Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes’ motorsport history. We knew our partnership would come to a natural end and that day has now arrived.” It was during a meeting in the Mercedes factories this afternoon, in Brackley in England, that the employees of the German firm learned the news of the departure of their driver.

A reunion in perspective

A few moments later, Ferrari put an end to the “suspense” as to the Briton’s destination by also publishing a press release in which it specified that “Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari for the 2025 season” and that he has “signed a contract of several seasons” with the Italian team.

By joining the Scuderia, the 39-year-old driver will experience the third team of his career (after McLaren between 2007-2012 and Mercedes since 2013) and will have the Frenchman Frédéric Vasseur as team manager. The two men have known each other for a long time since Frédéric Vasseur was his team director when he drove in Formula 3 Euroseries in 2005 and in GP2 (ancestor of Formula 2), a real antechamber of Formula 1, in the ART team , in 2006.

Charles Leclerc, who renewed his contract with Ferrari on January 25, will once again have a Formula 1 legend as a teammate after the quadruple world champion, Sebastian Vettel, between 2019 and 2020. The big loser in this transfer which makes history, it is the Spaniard, Carlos Sainz who loses his place in the Italian team. The 2024 season has not yet started and the 2025 season is already shaping up to be very interesting.





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