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Hamilton moved from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013 and won six of his seven titles with the Silver Arrows – his 103 race wins are an F1 record.
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Lewis Hamilton shocked the motorsports world when the seven-time Formula One champion said he would be leaving Mercedes at the end of the season to join Ferrari – a team that offered Hamilton a contract before signing his latest contract extension with the Silver Arrows. Tried to land on the ground.
Hamilton finalized a two-year extension with Mercedes in late August. Mercedes said on Thursday that the 39-year-old British driver has activated a release clause in a new deal that will allow him to join Ferrari in 2025.
“I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I am extremely proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been a part of my life since I was 13 years old, Hamilton said in a team statement. “This is a place I grew up in, so deciding to leave was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. But the time is right for me to make this move and I’m excited to take on a new challenge.”
Hamilton moved from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013 and won six of his seven titles with the Silver Arrows. His 103 race wins are an F1 record, but his last win was in the final race of the 2021 season as Mercedes has struggled to pace its new car against rivals Red Bull.
News of Hamilton’s move first broke on Thursday morning, but it took the teams the rest of the day to address the speculation. Mercedes, with comment from both Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff, eventually said that Hamilton was leaving and moments later Ferrari posted a team statement saying “Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that That Lewis Hamilton will join the team in 2025 on a multi-year contract.
This was followed by a statement from current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr., who was negotiating a contract extension but talks stalled at the end of last year.
“Following today’s news, Scuderia Ferrari and I will part ways at the end of 2024,” Sainz wrote. “We still have a long season ahead of us and as always, I will give my best for the team and for the tifosi around the world. News about my future will be announced in due course.
Hamilton will complete his journey at Mercedes with his current teammate George Russell. He will be teammates with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, who agreed to a long-term extension in December.
Hamilton will be 40 when he dons the red and black livery to represent Ferrari. His last championship was in 2020 and he was on his way to a record-breaking eighth title in the 2021 season finale, until a controversial finish handed the title to Max Verstappen, who has since won three consecutive titles as the Reds The bull has left Mercedes behind. As the top team in F1.
Meanwhile, Ferrari has not won the drivers’ title since Finnish driver Kimi Räikkönen won in 2007.
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