Lewis Hamilton dropped a bombshell on Mercedes after he activated his exit clause from the two-year contract he signed last summer. The seven-time world champion did so to join iconic rival Ferrari. In a detailed social media post, Lewis explained how driving for the Reds has always been his childhood dream.
While Mercedes were taken by surprise by the sudden change, they still have a year to serve with Lewis Hamilton before the Briton makes the switch in 2025. Meanwhile, after Hamilton’s shocking announcement, rumors of several of his close aides moving with him to Maranello gained momentum. However, the poaching is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Mercedes’ Engineers Protected Under ‘No-Poaching Clause’ As Lewis Hamilton Shifts To Ferrari!
Lewis Hamilton is gearing to tick off a major bucket list wish as he decided to join Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season. As big and sudden the move was, speculations over the driver’s close aides’ future in Brackley have only gained momentum. Notably, Hamilton has been at Mercedes since 2013. In this past decade, he achieved glorious success and became one of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport. Lewis built ever-lasting relationships with several key personnel’ of the racing outfit, including team principal Toto Wolff. However, in the wake of a team switch, Mercedes team dynamics are expected to witness a complete overhaul. As per speculations, Hamilton is likely to poach his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, to Ferrari in 2025.
Peter Bonnington has been Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer since he joined the team back in 2013. The duo gets along really well. And Peter is known to be the only guy who can calm the British driver during tense situations. It’s safe to say the race engineer had a massive role to play in Hamilton’s success in Brackely over the past decade. However, in a major setback, Bonnington is unlikely to accompany the Briton to Ferrari in 2025. Motorsport.com has learned that a ‘no-poaching’ clause was added to Lewis’ contract last summer. That prevents him from approaching any engineer directly to switch forces in case of a driver switch. Thus, Lewis is not allowed to ask Peter to join him Maranello next season. It would be interesting to see how Lewis Hamilton tackles this new roadblock.
Ferrari Opens Doors For Anyone And Everyone Who Follows Hamilton
It’s no secret how Ferrari poured everything they had to lure Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes. John Elkann literally broke the bank to secure the Briton’s future beyond racing. Accordingly, Ferrari is also ready to build a safety net around the seven-time world champion as he prepares to join forces in 2025.
As per rumors, Ferrari is open to welcoming anyone who wishes to follow Lewis Hamilton from Brackley to Maranello. From engineers to support staff, everyone is welcomed in Italy alongside Lewis in 2025. However, Mercedes’ no poaching clause changes things completely. Ferrari and Hamilton now have to think out of the box to ensure the arrival of key engineers.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such news and updates about Mercedes and your favorite F1 team.
