Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari on Thursday shocked the Formula One community.
Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One winner, shocked the motorsports world on Thursday when he revealed he would be joining Ferrari after the 2024 season, leaving Mercedes. Hamilton activated a release clause in August, even though he had signed a new two-year contract deal with Mercedes, which allowed him to join Ferrari in 2025.
For the 39-year-old British driver, whom Ferrari had coveted before deciding to commit to Mercedes, this is a major turnabout.
“I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old,” Hamilton said in a team statement.
“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.”
The Reason Behind Hamilton’s Departure
Following his 2013 switch from McLaren to Mercedes, Hamilton won six of his seven championships with the Silver Arrows. He is the F1 race record holder with 103 victories. His most recent victory, meanwhile, came in the season’s penultimate race in 2021, which speaks to Mercedes’ struggles to make their new vehicle competitive against Red Bull.
And according to RacingNews365, that may have been the main factor in Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes.
As to the report, Hamilton’s choice was greatly impacted by Loic Serra’s exit from Mercedes. Prior to joining Ferrari for the 2025 season, Serra was Head of Vehicle Performance at Mercedes.
Mike Elliott’s technical staff at Mercedes and Serra were said to have disagreed over the direction of the W13 and W14 projects, which had noticeably longer wheelbases and floors. It appears that Serra and Hamilton had concerns about the 2022-spec car, which was built in accordance with updated technological specifications.
Even throughout the 2023 season, Hamilton has been open about his misgivings regarding the vehicle. “Last year, I told them the issues that are with the car. I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need.
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“And I think it’s really about accountability, it’s about owning up and saying ‘yeah, you know what, we didn’t listen to you, it’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work’.”
Nevertheless, even after protracted talks over the contract he signed last year raised rumours he was thinking about joining a different team, Hamilton’s move is very surprising.
