Lewis Hamilton, seven-time F1 World Champion will be making a sensational switch from Mercedes to Ferrari next year on a multi-year contract.
Hamilton has raced for the Silver Arrows since the 2013 season and has won six of his seven world titles with the team, adding to the crown he achieved at McLaren earlier in his career.
Not only this, but he re-committed to Mercedes last summer, signing a new deal to keep him aboard through 2025, but he used the release clause which has allowed him to move to the Italian team.
Hamilton’s decision comes after two challenging seasons for the Brackley squad, who have struggled to adapt to F1’s latest ground effect era and have dropped behind Red Bull in the pecking order.
It means Hamilton will link up with Charles Leclerc, who recently agreed an extension with the Scuderia “beyond 2024” while Carlos Sainz will have to make way at the end of this year.
I have had an amazing 11 years with this team [Mercedes] and I’m so proud of what we have achieved 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. But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together. 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.
Lewis Hamilton on the news.
In terms of a team-driver pairing, our relationship with Lewis has become the most successful the sport has seen, and that’s something we can look back on with pride; Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history. However, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come. 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 going racing to deliver a strong 2024.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal and CEO.
Following today’s news, Scuderia Ferrari and myself will part ways at the end of 2024. We still have a long season ahead of us and, like always, I will give my absolute best for the team and for the Tifosi all around the world. News about my future will be announced in due course.
Carlos Sainz on leaving Ferrari.
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