The 2024 Formula 1 season hasn’t even started yet and the drama has already kicked off. In a shock move, seven time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of this year to race for Ferrari. The British driver will replace Spanish racer Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton first joined Mercedes in 2013 and has gone on to win 82 races with the Silver Arrows and six of his seven world drivers championships. Last year, Mercedes and Hamilton announced an extension of their partnership that would see the British driver race with the team until 2025.
However, Hamilton has found a way out of his contract earlier than expected. Sky News reports that the most successful F1 driver in history will now join the most successful F1 team in history as Hamilton makes a switch to Italian outfit Ferrari. Sky News reports:
Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and join Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes is due to expire at the end of 2025 but he will depart the team after this season and replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion is the most successful driver in F1 history with 103 wins and 104 pole positions.
At Ferrari, Hamilton will race alongside Charles Leclerc, who recently signed to extend his contract with the Scuderia. Leclerc currently has five race wins to his name and finished the 2023 season in fifth.
It’s been no secret that Hamilton hasn’t been enjoying his time at Mercedes in recent years. After dominating the sport for almost a decade, the German team dropped down the standings when the F1 rules changed dramatically in 2023.
After enduring two win-less seasons, Hamilton clearly decided enough was enough and wanted out. He’ll now be hoping that Ferrari can make a step forward to challenge back-to-back championship winners Red Bull. Alongside Max Verstappen, Red Bull has been the class of the field since the new era of F1 began.
Now, the question of everyone’s lips will be who gets that second seat at Mercedes? Ferrari’s current driver Sainz is now without a car, so will be gunning for a shot at the second Mercedes spot. However, so will rivals like Alex Albon from Williams, who is definitely ready to prove himself in a top car once again. Watch this space.