In a shock event, Lewis Hamilton has decided to part ways with Mercedez AMG Petronas after 11 years.
Though it’s unclear if a final contract has been signed or not, talks are still progressing, and this week’s end could see the outcome.
Hamilton has always wanted to be a Ferrari driver. The F1 driver had previously declined the team’s advances because he believed Mercedes offered a better route to success. The 39-year-old is a seven-time winner. However, it appears that Ferrari is almost close to convincing Hamilton that it is a better choice moving forward, following two challenging seasons for Mercedes.
As of right now, it seems like Hamilton may have only signed a multi-year Mercedes contract for 2024 and 2025 in order to obtain an escape clause that would have allowed him to sign with Ferrari in 2025, should he so choose.
Both Mercedes-Benz AMG Petronas and Ferrari have refrained from commenting on the circumstances.
Mercedes will suffer a lot if Hamilton’s departure is confirmed, as the team negotiated a long contract with him last year to have him for this season.Shortly after the arrangement was concluded, Hamilton stated unequivocally that he believed Mercedes had learned from its challenging seasons in 2022 and 2023 and would have a chance to win it all again with the new car for this season.
Regarding Hamilton’s commitment to Mercedes, where he was expected to conclude his Formula One career, it’s unclear what may have triggered a change of sentiment.