Lewis Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes in favour of joining Ferrari came as a surprise to many, though not everyone was shocked.
Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has taken the Formula One world by storm, though it has emerged that the switch was a long, thought-out decision. The Brit is said to have mapped out his career path early in his time in Mercedes, vowing to bow out with Ferrari.
The news of Hamilton’s decision came as a major surprise to many, especially given that he put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension with Mercedes last summer. The 39-year-old will replace Carlos Sainz in 2025, leaving the Silver Arrows with no choice but to scour the driver market for a replacement
Many expected Hamilton’s contract extension would see him retire with Toto Wolff’s team before taking up a senior position at Mercedes. However, it appears that his intention was never to bow out with the Silver Arrows
According to Motorsport Magazine columnist Matt Bishop, Hamilton told him in 2015 that he had aspirations of winning titles with Ferrari before retiring. The conversation took place in Tokyo after the Mercedes star had won his eighth Grand Prix of that year.
Hamilton spoke of how he still had a soft spot for McLaren during the conversation but declared that he was unlikely to return as he felt you should ‘never go back’ and that, having joined their Driver Development Programme at 13, he had stayed ‘too long’.
Bishop then asked Hamilton about whether he intended on ‘doing a Stirling Moss’ and race with Mercedes for the rest of his career before becoming a lifetime ambassador, but the now-seven-time champion appeared to have an another idea in his mind. Pushed as to whether he would retire with the Silver Arrows, Hamilton surprisingly vowed: “Well, what I’d really like to do, one day, is drive for Ferrari
That would be a great way to end my F1 career, wouldn’t it? To win championships for McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari?” Bishop opted not to share the exchange at the time, though Hamilton’s recent announcement matched with the exchange highlights how the global superstar had mapped out his career long before he became a record-breaking superstar.
It remains to be seen whether he fulfils all his wishes and is able to win at least one title with Ferrari though given that Max Verstappen’s dominance is showing no signs of stopping and how he will be keen to spoil the 2025 party and continue to write his name into the history books.
