In February, the Formula 1 world was shaken by the announcement that Lewis Hamilton would leave Mercedes at the end of the current season to join Ferrari in 2025. Hamilton has been with the Mercedes team since 2013, and the German manufacturer has powered all 353 of his F1 race starts so far.
Despite expressing his desire to finish his career with Mercedes as recently as September, Hamilton chose to activate a break clause in his existing contract, paving the way for his move to Ferrari. This decision marks a significant shift in his career as he prepares to take on a new challenge with one of F1’s most iconic teams.
Lewis Hamilton On His Ferrari Move: “I Don’t Want Any Regrets”
Matt Whyman, who had inside access to Mercedes while writing an all-access book on the team, Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane, recently shed light on the reasons behind Lewis Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes. According to Whyman, when he asked Hamilton directly about his move, the seven-time World Champion explained that racing for Ferrari was a dream he had since childhood. Hamilton felt that, as a motor racing enthusiast, every driver aspires to race for the iconic Italian team, and he didn’t want to reach the end of his career with lingering doubts about never having made that leap.
Hamilton also shared that he has a clear vision for the future and knows when his career will end. He expressed deep appreciation for everything he has achieved with Mercedes, including the numerous race victories, but emphasized that racing for Ferrari was the one thing missing from his career. Hamilton didn’t want to retire and look back with regrets, wishing he had taken the opportunity to race for Ferrari when he had the chance.
Hamilton Prepares To Leave Mercedes Amidst Overwhelming Emotions
In his book, Matt Whyman explores the emotional toll of Lewis Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes, focusing on the moment when Hamilton informed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff about his impending exit over breakfast. Hamilton described this as his “hardest meeting” ever. Still, Whyman reveals that the most mentally challenging part for Hamilton was telling his inner circle at Mercedes, including his long-time race engineer, Peter Bonnington.
Hamilton has a deep connection with his team, and his bonds with his engineers and colleagues mean a great deal to him. Every year, he arranges a pre-season paintballing outing for the team as a bonding experience. This year, however, when it came time for the event, Hamilton found himself overwhelmed with emotion. As he arrived and saw his colleagues waiting, he sat in his car for 20 minutes, struggling with what to say to them after all their years of working together. Whyman emphasized how human and relatable Hamilton’s feelings were, despite his reputation for being focused and driven.
Hamilton acknowledged the personal repercussions of his decision and, on a friendship level, this was what weighed most heavily on him. While everyone around him understood the move—especially given that it was Ferrari, a team he had not yet raced for—Hamilton’s concern for his colleagues and the relationships they had built was clearly at the forefront of his mind.
