Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes, to race for Ferrari from 2025

Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is set to bid farewell to Mercedes at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The announcement was officially made by the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team in a statement released on Thursday. Hamilton, who holds the record for the most F1 victories with 103 wins, has been associated with Mercedes since leaving McLaren in 2013. The British racing icon is now preparing to embark on a new chapter with Ferrari for the 2025 season.

The official statement from the Mercedes team reads, 'Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Lewis Hamilton will part ways at the end of the 2024 season. Lewis has exercised a release option in the contract that was announced last year.'
Reflecting on the successful partnership, Toto Wolff, the chief of Mercedes, acknowledged the historic achievements.

He stated, '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.'

In response to the development, Hamilton expressed gratitude for his time with the Mercedes team, referring to it as the place where he grew up. In a heartfelt message, he shared, '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. 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.'

Following the Mercedes announcement, Scuderia Ferrari confirmed the signing of Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season through a statement on the social media platform X.

Team Statement

Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team in 2025 on a multi-year contract pic.twitter.com/moEMqUgzXH

 Scuderia Ferrari @ScuderiaFerrariFebruary 1, 2024

The statement from Ferrari read, “Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team in 2025, on a multi-year contract.” The move to Ferrari marks a significant shift in Hamilton's career, setting the stage for new challenges and opportunities in the competitive world of Formula One.