Lewis Hamilton
By Connor Dullinger
In a blockbuster move, British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has announced that he is signing a deal with Ferrari starting in the 2025 season. Hamilton, who has spent the majority of his career with Mercedes racing, will finish out the final year of his contract, and after its conclusion will join the Ferrari side. Hamilton’s new team has not produced a drivers’ champion since 2007 when Kimi Raikkonen won and a constructors’ title winner since 2008. According to Hamilton, joining the Ferrari team has always been a dream of his:
“I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfill another childhood dream…Driving in Ferrari red,” Hamilton said.
This new contract for Hamilton ends a lifelong partnership with Mercedes which started in 2007 when he joined McLaren. In his career, the British driver has won seven championships, six of these being for his Mercedes team. He currently shares the record of most F1 World titles with Michael Schumacher.
“I still remember the feeling of taking a leap of faith into the unknown when I first joined Mercedes in 2013. I know some people didn’t understand it at the time but I was right to make the move then and it’s the feeling I have again now,” Hamilton said. “I’m excited to see what I can bring to this new opportunity and what we can do together.”
Hamilton is set to replace Spanish driver Carlos Sainz. Formula One announcer Will Buxton is calling the move “the single biggest driver transfer in the history of the sport”.
While Hamilton has made a new commitment to Ferrari he has claimed that he will continue to stay focused and committed to Mercedes while on the last year of his current contract.
“I am more driven than ever, I am fitter and more focussed than ever and I want to help Mercedes win once again. I am 100% committed to the job I need to do and determined to end my partnership with the team on a high,” Hamilton said.
Beyond the news of Hamilton leaving there is speculation that the 39-year-old British racer will also bring other members of the Mercedes team along with him to Ferrari. There are rumors that Riccardo Musconi, the senior race engineer for George Russell at Mercedes, will leave the team and join Hamilton. Musconi previously worked as the performance engineer for Hamilton and since then has worked as a race engineer for drivers like Russell and Valtteri Bottas. Additionally, Peter Bonnington, the senior race engineer for Hamilton at Mercedes,is rumored to be joining his driver at Ferrari. Loïc Sera, the performance director at Mercedes AMG is another potential transfer. joining a Ferrari team.
Despite Ferrari’s lack of recent success they look to be a dangerous force led by Frederick Vasseur new team principal whois hoping to take over operations at Scuderia Ferrari. Ferrari looks to be a formidable team going forward with the addition of Hamilton to a room led by young star Charles Leclerc.