In what is going to absolutely go down because the transfer of the last decade, seven-time Components 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has reportedly agreed to make a shock change from Mercedes-AMG Petronas to Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season. The information has been picked up by a number of credible retailers, together with Autosport and Sky Sports activities.
The Briton, who will flip 40 subsequent 12 months, is ready to companion star driver Charles Leclerc, who himself simply agreed to a multi-year cope with Maranello final week. He’ll substitute Carlos Sainz Jr, who appears increasingly more prone to make the much-anticipated transfer to Stake F1 Staff (née Sauber) – forward of it changing into the Audi works workforce in the beginning of latest rules coming in 2026.
Hamilton remains to be contracted to Mercedes till the tip of 2025, however it seems that the second 12 months of the deal he signed final 12 months was merely an choice for him to take up.
As but, it’s unclear if Hamilton has really signed the undoubtedly profitable contract, with reporting starting from superior talks set to conclude by the tip of the week to it being a completed deal, solely awaiting an official announcement later at this time. For his or her half, Mercedes and Ferrari have declined to touch upon these rumours, however as they are saying, there’s no smoke with out fireplace…
The information first originated by Italian and Spanish media earlier at this time, BBC Sport wrote, including that it has since verified the transfer as being a “severe chance.” It additionally said that, in response to sources, Mercedes will maintain a workforce assembly at 2:00 pm GMT (10:00 pm native time) with boss Toto Wolff and technical director James Allison, prone to announce that Hamilton is leaving.
Hamilton loved an unprecedented interval of dominance with Mercedes throughout the sport’s turbo hybrid period, claiming six of his seven championships and eight constructors’ titles with the workforce. However Brackley dropped the ball with the present floor impact guidelines cycle and has received only one race (Brazil 2022) prior to now two years, with Hamilton not successful since his riveting – and extremely contentious – 2021 title combat with Max Verstappen.
Regardless of his seemingly unshakable loyalty to Mercedes, Hamilton has lengthy been linked to a transfer to the Cavallino Rampante, though each side have performed down these rumours. On the floor, there’s little or no upside to becoming a member of Ferrari, which fumbled its personal title problem in 2022 and narrowly misplaced second to Mercedes final 12 months.
However the workforce mounted a late surge in 2023 that included the one non-Pink Bull win in Singapore – sarcastically with Sainz on the helm – hinting that it may be on the cusp of turning the nook. Plus, the attract of driving for the workforce in crimson (and ending a title drought that stretches to 2008) mustn’t ever be underestimated, even for probably the most profitable driver in F1 historical past.
It’s odd {that a} workforce would make a driver announcement this early within the previous 12 months, but it surely’s not unprecedented. You solely should look again to 2020, when it was confirmed Sebastian Vettel was getting kicked out of the Scuderia in 2021 – all whereas the game (and the world) was nonetheless within the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One factor’s for positive – as a lifelong Ferrari fan, I want a lie down…
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