Prolific race car driver Lewis Hamilton will be leaving the Mercedes F1 team to join Ferrari.
According to multiple outlets, Hamilton, who is the most successful driver in Formula One history, will close out his long-running relationship with Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season, the Mercedes F1 team confirmed in a statement on Thursday. He joined Mercedes in 2013 after leaving McLaren. That agreement Hamilton signed was an approximate $60 million contract with Mercedes.
It’s unknown how much Ferrari offered Hamilton, though the seven-time champion inked a year-long contract that will likely rival the hefty sum Mercedes was offering. The Daily Mail reported that the Ferrari contract may be around $40 million, though that has yet to be confirmed.
“Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Lewis Hamilton will part ways at the end of the 2024 season. Lewis has activated a release option in the contract announced last year,” Mercedes shared in a statement on social media.
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Lewis Hamilton will part ways at the end of the 2024 season. Lewis has activated a release option in the contract announced last year.
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 1, 2024
Hamilton will join racer Charles Leclerc, who also landed a new long-term contract last week, starting with the 2025 season. However, Ferrari racer Carlos Sainz may be left without a car, though he could be eyeing Mercedes, who now has some free space.
Following a challenging season with Mercedes last year, during which he didn’t secure a Grand Prix victory and ended up in third place in the Drivers’ Championship, Hamilton appears to be looking for a change.
