Lewis Hamilton has said his desire to drive for Ferrari dates back to his childhood, when he used to play Formula One video games as Michael Schumacher.
Hamilton shocked the F1 world at the start of this month when it was announced that he would leave his Mercedes contract a year early to drive for Ferrari in 2025.
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Ferrari has not won a drivers’ championship since Kimi Raikkonen beat Hamilton to the title in 2007, and its last period of sustained success was with Schumacher between 2000 and 2004.
In an Instagram post earlier this month, Hamilton said it was a “childhood dream” to drive for Ferrari in F1 — a theme he elaborated on during a news conference at preseason testing on Friday.
“I think for every driver, I think 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 might be like to be surrounded by the red,” he said.
“You go to the Italian Grand Prix, and you see the sea of red of Ferrari fans, and you can only stand in awe of that.
“It’s a team that’s not had huge success really since, mostly obviously from Michael’s days, but obviously since 2007, and I saw it as a huge challenge.
“Without a doubt, even as a kid, I used to play on Grand Prix 2 [a computer game] as Michael in that car.
“So it definitely is a dream, and I’m really, really excited about it.”
Hamilton’s Mercedes contract was announced as a two-year deal when it was signed last August, but the seven-time champion has chosen to activate an exit clause at the end of 2024.
Asked what changed in his mind over the winter, Hamilton added: “Obviously in summer we signed, and at that time I saw my future with Mercedes, but an opportunity came up in the new year and I decided to take it.
“It was obviously the hardest decision I have ever had to make. I’ve been with Mercedes for, I think, like, 26 years; they have supported me, and we have had an absolutely incredible journey together.
“We have created history together in the sport, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in and I’m very proud of what we have achieved. I think ultimately I’m…
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