A movement of tectonic plates in Ferrari and Mercedes has caused the biggest earthquake in recent times in Formula 1: seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton will leave the star team in 2025, after 12 years with those from Brackley, to join to Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz, without a destination team for now.
The Englishman's departure from Mercedes, made official at 8:00 p.m. by the Brackley team, was announced by Toto Wolff to the Mercedes employees at midday. Seconds later, Ferrari also made official the signing of Hamilton "with a multi-year contract", without specifying the number of years.
The news of Hamilton's (39) change of scenery to Ferrari – about which there had been intense speculation due to the contacts they had since 2019 – spread like wildfire through the Italian media from early in the morning. It was the British network Sky Sports F1 that confirmed that Toto Wolff met with the Mercedes management staff yesterday at noon to announce to the star's employees that Hamilton's departure was irrevocable.
In this way, Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of this next 2024 World Cup, one year before the conclusion of his current contract (which he renewed until 2025, as he announced on August 31 in Monza, along with his teammate George Russell ). It so happens that Mercedes was betting on the continuity of Hamilton and the return this year of its technical guru James Allison (he left his duties as technical director to dedicate himself to the America's Cup), to recover the drivers' title, which is resisting them. since 2020 (and that of builders, since 2021). Three years of incontestable dominance by Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
Hamilton, whose signing for Ferrari was quickly closed due to the Englishman's friendship with president John Elkann – grandson of Gianni Agnelli – will have Charles Leclerc as his partner. The Monegasque renewed for the Scuderia on January 25 with one of those multi-year contracts, without specifying the number of years, although various sources estimate that it is for three more years (until 2027).
There have been two clear movements by the Scuderia: with Hamilton they ensure a coup d'état (Ferrari's shares rose 10% on the New York Stock Exchange) to lift the spirits of the fans of a team that has not won for 16 years (2007, with Kimi Räikkönen); the most glamorous and most hungry driver (Alonso aside), which represents the return of a champion to Maranello (the previous one was Vettel, 2015-20). While Leclerc (26) is the bet for the future, the cornerstone of his project. The Monegasque, a product of the Maranello Pilots Academy, was the favorite of the Cavallino leaders. During the three years of coexistence with Carlos Sainz (since 2021), the balance has been slightly favorable to Leclerc: 3-2 in victories, 18-16 in podiums and 16-5 in pole positions.
Regarding the Spaniard's renewal, the silence throughout this time has been eloquent: there was no progress, despite the ongoing negotiations. “I will try to have my future decided in winter; In the short, medium and long term you already know what my priority is. We have four months of winter to sit down calmly and talk about it,” Carlos had commented to the Spanish media in October, with no urgency to renew. He already knows that he won't do it, that he will have to find another team for 2025.
Curiously, the only driver who has been able to defeat the Red Bulls in the last 2023 year (in Singapore) is left without a team – for now. He should not lack suitors at the end of 2024, when his contract with Ferrari ends. Carlos will be 30 years old (he turns 30 on September 1) and will be one of the most experienced drivers on the grid with 10 seasons behind him (more than 200 GP). One of the most plausible destinations for the Madrid native is Audi, which will enter the championship in 2026 by absorbing Sauber's technical structure (until now managing the Alfa Romeo team, which will be called Stake F1 Kick Sauber in 2024). In 2025, Sainz could already join Sauber as a bridge adaptation season. At Audi he would reunite with Andreas Seidl at the helm, his former director at McLaren (2019-20).
