According to sources on Thursday, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is set to make a surprise switch to Ferrari for the 2025 Formula One season.
According to multiple sources in Britain and Italy, the Italian team wants the 39-year-old Briton to accompany their current driver, Charles Leclerc.
According to the BBC, Mercedes team personnel were informed by CEO Toto Wolff at their UK headquarters on Thursday that Hamilton will quit at the end of the 2024 season to join one of Formula One’s most legendary names.
According to reports in Italy, the relocation might be publicly revealed as early as Thursday evening.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari would raise concerns because he has signed a two-year contract with his current club Mercedes for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but that contract apparently has a clause that allows him to depart after just one season.
According to multiple reports, Hamilton’s agreement with Ferrari was rushed because the company was in talks with Spanish driver Carlos Sainz about extending his contract, which expires at the conclusion of this season.
Hamilton won his final world title in 2020, but lost the 2021 championship in controversial way to Max Verstappen after the race director disobeyed the safety car rules in Abu Dhabi, essentially barring the Briton’s path to win in both that grand prix and the championship.
The Dutch Red Bull driver, who is 13 years younger than Hamilton, has dominated the Formula One scene ever since.
Hamilton finished sixth in the driver standings in 2022 and third in 2023.
Ferrari declined to comment on claims that they were negotiating a swap with Hamilton for the 2025 season, although admitting they had discussions about it in 2019.
A Ferrari spokeswoman stated, “We do not comment on rumours.”
Mercedes did not respond when approached by AFP.
Hamilton has never hidden his rage over the 2021 incident in Abu Dhabi, believing he was robbed of an eighth title, which would have taken him past of Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher.
He has expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of his Mercedes car over the last two years and may hope that a switch to Ferrari will allow him to restart his bid for that elusive history-making title.
However, Ferrari has had uneven form in recent seasons, but they appeared to gain momentum near the end of last season.
That improvement was insufficient to prevent Mercedes from finishing second in the constructors’ championship, trailing only Red Bull.