It was news that shook the F1 paddock before the season had even started.
Ferrari‘s announcement back in February that they had agreed a deal with seven time champion Lewis Hamilton for 2025 sent shockwaves throughout the sport, as it marked the end of a formidable partnership between Hamilton and Mercedes that stretched back more than two decades – with the German brand engine suppliers to McLaren when a fresh-faced 22-year-old Hamilton made his F1 debut back in 2007. It also set the wheels in motion for a radical reshuffling of the F1 order; with Carlos Sainz searching for a new seat, and Mercedes prioritising Hamilton’s teammate George Russell – who remains under contract with the Silver Arrows.
On the track it’s therefore not been a season for the veteran – who will celebrate his 40th birthday in early January – to remember, but there have been high points – none more so than an emotional home victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. In Brazil, Hamilton cryptically hinted over team radio that he might not see out the season with his team, whilst after a nightmare Qatar race he said: “I’m just not fast anymore” when asked about a disappointing qualifying performance. That means that he’ll be a man with a point to prove when he arrives in Maranello for the first time.
Why have Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton?
Ferrari finally securing Hamilton’s signature will come as a massive boost to bosses at the Scuderia. He has been a thorn in the side of F1’s most iconic brand since his first season in the sport. In 2008 Hamilton pipped Felipe Massa to the title with a last corner move in Brazil, whilst in both 2017 and 2018 he was the only man to finish above Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. In fact throughout his 18 seasons in the sport, Hamilton has only finished behind a Ferrari seven times in the end of season standings. As recently as 2023, in a season dominated by Max Verstappen and Red Bull, Hamilton finished behind only the two Red Bulls and showed that he’d lost none of his speed.
But beyond his talents in a car, Ferrari are getting a man who transcends the sport. Hamilton is not just F1’s highest profile driver, he’s also one of the world’s best known celebrities. With an Instagram following of more than 38m and an army of fans in countries across the world, Ferrari will feel that they couldn’t turn down the opportunity to have him act as an ambassador for their brand. It was very much a case of third time lucky for the Scuderia too – who had attempted to sign Hamilton more than a decade earlier, in 2012, before his move to Mercedes, and then again in 2019.
Why has Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes?
Despite connections with the Silver Arrows that stretch back almost three decades to his early career as a McLaren junior driver, Hamilton has never hidden his desire to drive for Ferrari. In an interview with Sky Sports in Italy back in 2021 he said: “It’s definitely going to be crazy to think that I never drove for Ferrari. For everyone that’s a dream position to be in. It was just never really fully on the cards for me.”
The brand is the most iconic in F1, and they’ve been underperforming for almost two decades – with memories of Kimi Raikkonen’s 2007 success now feeling a very distant memory. With seven titles and more than 100 victories to his name since Ferrari’s last triumph, Hamilton’s place in the F1 history books is secure. But he knows that winning a title with Ferrari and helping the team back to glory, just as Michael Schumacher managed to do in the early 2000s, would cement his status as an all-time great.
What is Hamilton saying about the move?
Hamilton has admitted that the decision was the hardest he’s faced, telling the F1 website: “I feel like it was obviously the hardest decision that I think I’ve ever had to make. Obviously I’ve been with Mercedes for, I think it’s like 26 years they’ve supported me, and we’ve had an absolutely incredible journey together. We’ve created history within the sport, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved. But I think ultimately I’m writing my story and I felt like it was time to start a new chapter.”
But he has described the move to Ferrari as fulfilling a childhood dream, adding: “I think for every driver growing up, watching the history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I think probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up, and you see the driver in the red cockpit and you wonder what it would be like to be surrounded by the red.
“You go to the Italian Grand Prix and you see the sea of red Ferrari fans and you can only stand in awe of that. It’s a team that’s not had huge success recently, since 2007, and I saw it as a huge challenge. Without a doubt, even as a kid, I used to play [on games] as Michael in that car, so it definitely is a dream and I’m really, really excited about it.”
Who is replacing Lewis Hamilton?
Hamilton’s seat at Mercedes will have been one of the most in-demand in the paddock, but the team have shown total faith in rookie Kimi Antonelli by handing him the prized drive for 2025. It’s a golden ticket for the 18-year-old who knows he’ll have to hit the ground running, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff making clear his desire to sign world champion Max Verstappen for the team – and both the Italian youngster and teammate George Russell out of contract in 2026.
How have British drivers performed before for Ferrari?
When he lines up as a full-time driver for the Scuderia, Hamilton will join an exclusive club of British drivers to have raced for the marque. Rookie Ollie Bearman was the most recent, albeit only as a stand-in when illness ruled out Carlos Sainz. You have to go back to Northern Irishman Eddie Irvine for Ferrari’s last full-time Brit, and he left the Scuderia in 1999. Prior to him, Nigel Mansell was a popular figure during a dark time for the Tifosi in the late 80s and early 90s – earning the nickname Il Leone, because of his fearless driving style.
It’s 60 years exactly since a British driver last won the world championship for Ferrari, with the legendary John Surtees accomplishing the feat in 1964.