Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes to race for Ferrari starting with the 2025 F1 season.
Both teams announced the shocking move via official statements on Friday (2 Feb).
Hamilton, widely regarded as the successful driver on the F1 racing circuit, leaves behind an 11-year partnership with the Mercedes team.
The Mercedes F1 team announced the move via a press release on Friday (2 Feb) morning.
“The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Lewis Hamilton will part ways at the end of the 2024 season,” it said.
According to the statement, the 39-year-old had triggered a release clause in his contract. As such, the current season would be his last with the Silver Arrows.
Mercedes added that this would bring to an end his 17-year relationship in F1 with Mercedes-Benz and an 11-year-long partnership with the works team.
In a one-line statement via X, Ferrari shared that Hamilton will join the team in 2025 on a multi-year contract.
He will replace Spanish driver Carlos Sainz, who won the F1 Singapore Grand Prix last year.
Having won six world titles with Mercedes, Hamilton leaves behind an illustrious partnership with the team he joined back in 2013.
Source: @MercedesAMGF1 on Instagram
In his statement via Mercedes, he expressed his pride at his achievements with the team, adding that they had an “amazing” 11 years together:
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.
However, Hamilton said that it was the right time to make the move and that he’s excited about the new challenge.
He went on to express his gratitude towards Toto Wolff — current team principal of the Mercedes F1 team — as well as his desire to finish on a high together.
Source: @mercedesamgf1 on Instagram
“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 said.
Wolff addressed Hamilton’s departure in the statement as well, describing the team’s relationship with him as the most successful the sport had seen.
“Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history,” he said.
We accept Lewis’s decision to seek a fresh challenge, and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate.
He ended his remarks by assuring fans that they remain focused on delivering a strong performance this year.
Also read: F1 S’pore Grand Prix 2024 General Ticket Sale Starts On 1 Nov, Brought Forward Due To High Demand
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Featured image adapted from @mercedesamgf1 on Instagram and Instagram.
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