Lewis Hamilton just shocked the Formula 1 world with the news that he’s leaving longtime team Mercedes and moving to Ferrari.
“The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Lewis Hamilton will part ways at the end of the 2024 season,” Mercedes announced in a Thursday, February 1, statement. “Lewis has activated a release option in the contract announced last August and this season will therefore be his last driving for the Silver Arrows.”
Hamilton, 39, signed with Mercedes in 2013 after spending the first six years of his career with McLaren.
“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 the 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.”
Hamilton added that he will be “forever grateful” for the support he received from the Mercedes family. He vowed to make his last year with the company “one to remember.”
Shortly after Mercedes announced Hamilton would be leaving at the end of the year, Ferrari announced via X that the racer would be joining their team in 2025 on a “multiyear” contract. Hamilton’s addition to the team means he will replace Spanish driver Carlos Sainz, as Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc recently signed a fresh contract extension. Ferrari confirmed on Thursday that the 2024 season will be Sainz’s last outing with the team.
“We’ve still got one more season to give it everything together @Carlossainz55 💪,” Ferrari wrote via X.
Hamilton’s decision to depart from Mercedes came as a surprise to F1 fans. The British racer previously said that he planned on working with the German car brand for the rest of his career.
“I know what I want to do … I plan on staying longer. It’s just not set in stone how long,” Hamilton said in an October 2022 interview with Channel 4. “I plan on staying with Mercedes for the rest of my life, that’s a definite. It’s more figuring out what we are going to do down the line. Even beyond racing, I want to be building with Mercedes, and there is a lot that Mercedes can do — it’s not just a car manufacturer.”
Since joining F1 in 2007, Hamilton has earned tons of accolades. He’s won seven World Drivers’ Championship titles and currently holds the records for the most wins, pole positions and podium finishes.
