Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari has drawn wild reactions across the F1 community. Many speculate that friction was brewing inside the Brackley campus, which forced the Briton to call it quits. Since Mercedes’ struggle phase began in 2022, Hamilton has been extremely critical of the car’s performance.
However, not once did he lose faith in Mercedes, a team he spent 11 years with. However, something changed drastically over the winter, which saw Lewis Hamilton switch ships to Ferrari for the 2025 season. Meanwhile, the rumors market is once again buzzing with new speculation, which will further fuel the alleged fallout theory.
Mercedes Upper Bosses Apparently Refused To Lend Long-Term Contract To Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton signed a two-year extension contract with Mercedes five months ago and seemed committed to bringing the team back to the top. However, his shift to Ferrari has changed the dynamics drastically. Amid reports of a fallout, Motorsport.com’s Italian outlet suggests that Toto Wolff wasn’t against awarding Hamilton a long-term contract. It was instead the team’s upper hierarchy who played spoilsport. The rumors state that Silver Arrow’s top bosses were afraid that Hamilton would pull off a Nico Rosberg move and retire if he found the car unsatisfactory. This way, the team would be left without a potent driver and leader. Thus, they chose to lend Lewis a two-year contract with an exit option after the 2024 season.
Despite a clear ask, Lewis Hamilton was denied a contract beyond the 2025 season, which apparently turned his relations with Mercedes sour. It’s clear that team principal Toto Wolff had no part to play, and he was merely a victim of the top hierarchy’s politics. That being said, Wolff also admitted that when Lewis signed the extension season five months ago, they knew their association would end at some point. However, the British driver jumping ships to Ferrari clearly wasn’t on Wolff’s 2024 year bingo card. The Austrian admitted to being caught off-guard by the timing of the move. All things said and done, Hamilton is confident of finishing on a high with Mercedes this year. He has tested the W15 on the simulator and is kind of satisfied with the improvements. However, a clear picture will be unveiled at pre-season testing in Bahrain scheduled for this coming weekend.
Lewis Hamilton Gets Emotional At W15 Launch
Days after dropping a bombshell on his future endeavors, Lewis Hamilton made his first public appearance at the Mercedes 2024 F1 season challenger W15’s launch. He said that to part ways after 13 years is nothing but an emotional ride for him. Regardless, the Silver Arrows will always be a part of his life and racing career, no matter where he ends up.
Lewis Hamilton further added that he intends to finish his highly successful journey with Mercedes on a high this year. While winning the championship would be a far-fetched dream, he can try to do better than the 2024 season. And hopefully, win more and more podiums for the team.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such news and updates about Mercedes and your favorite F1 team.
