Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season and join Formula One rivals Ferrari on a multi-year deal in 2025.
He is set to partner Charles Leclerc in 2025, leaving Spaniard Carlos Sainz facing his last year as a Ferrari driver.
Hamilton joined Mercedes from McLaren for the 2013 season and secured six of his seven championships with the team. He also won 82 of his record 103 races with the Silver Arrows.
Hamilton’s dominant run with Mercedes has stalled in recent seasons, with the team unable to provide him with a car to challenge the power of Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
‘Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. 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.’ Remarked Lewis.
Team principal Toto Wolff thanked Hamilton will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history.
‘We accept Lewis’s 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.’ He added.
The news is unquestionably the biggest transfer in F1 history, eclipsing even Hamilton’s move in 2012/13 from McLaren to Mercedes. He will partner Charles Leclerc, the boy prince from Monaco, who has just signed a deal to remain with the Scuderia until 2029 on a salary worth up to £35m, bonuses included.