According to insiders, Lewis Hamilton got a call last spring. It was John Elkann, the chairman of Ferrari. This wasn’t entirely unexpected. Hamilton was familiar with Elkann, and Ferrari had already made a visit. After a few meetings, they had become friends.
Elkann is said to have made another move for the most well-known driver in Formula One during the call. Their cards were arranged on the table. Elkann was pitching the Ferrari board, who had reaffirmed their desire to see Lewis Hamilton wear red, if not for 2024 then at some point before the seven-time world champion hung up his helmet.
Previously, Lewis Hamilton and his group had considered switching to Ferrari, but they had always decided to stay with Mercedes. They reconsidered after receiving this call in the spring, and the answer was no. It’s thought that nothing more significant happened than a few casual, informal conversations.
That summer, the 39-year-old signed a new two-year contract with the Silver Arrows, with whom he has played with since 2013 and with which he has won six of his seven world titles, which will take him to the end of 2025. Like many contracts, there were, nevertheless, ways for either party to get out of the agreement.
As summer gave way to fall, Hamilton began to see more clearly what Mercedes could do in 2024. Ferrari, however, was unwavering in their desire to take the British driver away and felt as though they might be weakening Hamilton’s resolve.
As winter arrived and Ferrari called again, Hamilton treated it with the deference it deserved and carefully considered the advantages and disadvantages. The conversations were more formal and he seemed more interested this time. They rapidly became serious.
Hamilton was given the rundown on Ferrari’s short- to medium-term strategy. They think their development is going in the right direction. They think that the introduction of new legislation in 2026 will be a turning point for them and will put an end to their title-less tenure. They think they can lead the class with their new 2026 power unit, which will run entirely on sustainable fuel—and they have experience in this field.
After taking in the information, Hamilton made a choice. He believed that this was his chance to take a risk and compete for the team that all Formula One drivers eventually aspire to drive for. After everything was finalized early this week and he signed on the dotted line, he told Mercedes he was leaving on Wednesday. The colorant was applied.
Mercedes reportedly summoned a team briefing to update employees on the development on Thursday at 1400 UK time, according to sources: Mercedes is searching for a new driver for 2025 as Hamilton will be departing at the end of the current season.
