Lewis Hamilton has broken his silence on his to quit Mercedes for Ferrari. The 38-year-old has confirmed he will represent the Scuderia in 2025, and has described shock the call as “one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.
In a released statement from Mercedes, the seven-time world champion was quoted as saying: “I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13. It’s a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make
“But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto and his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together.”
Hamilton also vowed to give everything for the team in what will be his final season under Toto Wolff in 2023, adding: “I am 100 per cent committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows one to remember.”
Mercedes themselves paid tribute to the contribution of the British icon, saying: “In terms of a team-driver pairing, our relationship with Lewis has become the most successful the sport has seen, and that’s something we can look back on with pride. Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history.”
The team also implied they were understanding of the development, and would now relish signing a new driver for 2025. “However, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come.
“We accept Lewis’ decision to seek a fresh challenge and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate. But for now, we still have one season to go, and we are focused on going racing to deliver a strong 2024.”
