Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula 1 champion, will leave the Mercedes team and join Ferrari. According to Sky News, the parties have reached an agreement and announced that the British driver will join Ferrari next season. During the transition, Hamilton can replace Sainz — his racing partner also extended his contract for two years.
Why is Hamilton’s transition historic?
Formula 1 fans will remember that Hamilton won six titles with Mercedes between 2014 and 2020. In 2021, Lewis lost to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on the final lap of the final race. Mercedes suffered misfortune over the next two seasons, with the team only winning one race in 2022.
In 2013, Hamilton also unexpectedly moved to Mercedes from McLaren. Ferrari had already offered the British driver a deal, but the driver rejected the offers. Apparently, after an unsuccessful season at Mercedes, the athlete sees prospects for development in Ferrari. If Hamilton does sign the contract, he will join the team in 2025.
Hamilton’s departure puts Mercedes at risk: the driver does not believe that the team will be able to recover from unsuccessful seasons due to technical errors. Fans were confident that Lewis would remain at Mercedes for the rest of his career.
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Hamilton is already making plans for his “retirement”
Previously, experts suggested that Lewis could retire in 2024. All because of the unsuccessful results of the seasons.
In an interview, the 39-year-old Formula 1 star admitted that after retiring, he would like to climb Everest: “This is a serious challenge that tests your physical and mental fitness. Can I handle it? Will I be able to reach the top? I would try and at the same time raise money for some good cause. And I want to go down from Everest by paragliding.”