Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is preparing for his final season with Mercedes before the British veteran driver sensationally joins Ferrari in 2025
Lewis Hamilton has revealed he did not even tell his parents about his decision to join Ferrari. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion will leave Mercedes after the 2024 season, with the move to Ferrari sending shockwaves around the world of motorsport.
Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension only last August, but he decided to trigger an exit clause to depart the team 12 months early to sign with Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season. The British driver signed a multi-year deal with the Italian team and will race alongside Charles Leclerc after snatching Carlos Sainz’s seat.
Hamilton spoke to BBC 5 Live podcast F1: Back at Base, available on BBC Sounds’ F1: Chequered Flag feed, about his decision to leave Mercedes, suggesting his long-term relationship with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was critical while the German manufacturers have struggled in recent years. He admitted even his parents did not find out until the day of the announcement.
“It happened very fast and I’ve known Fred [Vasseur] for a long time,” Hamilton said. “For me, I was excited for a new year, but not really knowing what the future would hold and not really knowing how long I was going to race for, but knowing that I felt super driven and excited to continue to
“I mean, the opportunity just popped up and I was like, okay, I’ve got to think for a second. And I didn’t have a lot of time to think and I had to just go with my gut feeling and I decided to take the opportunity.”
When asked if it was a ‘gut feeling’ decision, Hamilton said: “Yeah. You’re gut and your heart. I didn’t speak to anybody. I didn’t tell my parents until the day of it being announced, so no one knew. I really wanted to do it for myself, and ultimately, I had to find out what would be the best for me.”
The 2024 F1 season will be Hamilton’s final campaign with Mercedes. Hamilton is the joint-most successful driver in the sport’s history and has won six of his seven world championships at Mercedes after joining from McLaren back in 2013.
Hamilton has become one of the most recognisable sports personalities on the planet while representing Mercedes, and the 39-year-old admitted the decision to leave the team was difficult. He added: “Honestly, it was the hardest decision.
When I left McLaren it was a very, very hard decision also because it was like my family. It was really…you feel such a part of the family and obviously have been such a big part of the Mercedes, have been such a huge part of my life and we’ve achieved so much together.
And the thing is, I will always be a Mercedes fan and we’ll always have this incredible history together. Even now, after all these years since I left McLaren, I always check where they are and I’m generally always supporting them and that will always be the case for me here also.”
