Lewis Hamilton is widely expected to confirm a sensational move from Mercedes to Ferrari at the end of this year.
The seven-times world champion has often been rumoured as a potential target for the Scuderia. Last May Ferrari denied reports claiming it had made a significant financial offer to Hamilton and three months later Mercedes announced he had re-signed for 2024 and 2025.
However following reports which emerged in Italian media yesterday the prospects of Hamilton making the second team change of his 17-year career seem increasingly realistic. It would mark a major change for the driver who has started every race of his career to date with Mercedes power.
Last week Ferrari announced Charles Leclerc had extended his deal to drive for the team beyond this season. However the absence of a renewal for his team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr prompted speculation over his future. With Sainz’s contract ending after this season, Hamilton can slot in alongside Leclerc at the team.
The upcoming season is expected to be Hamilton’s last with Mercedes. He joined the team in 2013 after starting his F1 career at McLaren six years earlier. Having won the 2008 world championship with McLaren, Hamilton’s move to Mercedes propelled him to becoming the most successful F1 driver of all time. Six further world championships gave him a record-equalling total of seven, and he became the first driver in the sport’s history to win more than 100 grands prix.
However the team has failed to get to grips with new technical regulations introduced by F1 in 2022. Hamilton has not won a race in the last two seasons. Last year, he was clearly dissatisfied at the team’s failure to make more drastic changes to its unsuccessful 2022 car.
Ferrari was the only team to beat Red Bull to a victory last season. Although Mercedes pipped them to second in the constructors’ championship, Ferrari ended the season in more competitive shape.
Hamilton has also previously enjoyed success with Frederic Vasseur, who became Ferrari’s team principal at the beginning of last year. He drove for Vasseur’s ASM and ART teams when he won the Formula 3 Euroseries and GP2 championships in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
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Formula 1
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