The red of Ferrari is ultimately irresistible for every Formula 1 driver. If you get a call from Maranello, you answer it. Even if your name is Lewis Hamilton and you are inextricably linked to Ferrari’s great rival Mercedes, where you have celebrated unprecedented success.
The F1 world was completely surprised on Thursday by the news that Hamilton (39) is switching to Ferrari. The rumors grew during the day, after which the news became official in the evening was confirmed. Hamilton will start with his new employer in 2025, so after the coming season, in which he will still play for Mercedes. The Briton joins a line of arriving stars who in the past all switched to the Italian team to compete for what is perhaps the highest honor in motorsport: becoming world champion in a Ferrari.
No team can be compared to Ferrari. It has been participating in Formula 1 since its first season in 1950, is the record holder for grand prix victories and world titles and has an intensely passionate fan base that expects the team to add new successes as quickly as possible. When he sees the masses of fans dressed in red in the stands at Ferrari’s home races in Imola and Monza, Hamilton cannot help but feel the pressure.
Everyone assumed that Hamilton would end his career at Mercedes within a few years. He joined that team in 2013, after six years at McLaren, where he won the world title in 2008. The transfer to Mercedes turned out to be a masterstroke. From the moment Formula 1 switched to hybrid engines in 2014, the British-German team built the best cars for years. Between 2014 and 2020, Hamilton became champion another six times – Max Verstappen ended his reign in 2021.
Eighth world title
In recent years, the main question was how long Hamilton would continue as a Formula 1 driver. Yourself he already let slip that he “never thought” he would still be active at his age. His Mercedes contract expired at the end of last year, and an extension was not forthcoming. He finally signed at the end of the summer for two years bee. Nasty now it seems There was a clause in the agreement for that second year – 2025 – that allowed Hamilton to unilaterally terminate the contract. At Ferrari he takes the place of Spaniard Carlos Sainz. He will have one of the fastest drivers in Formula 1 as a teammate: the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, who signed last week, according to Italian media until 2029.
Hamilton has not yet said anything about the reason for his switch. But it is likely that he no longer trusts that Mercedes can give him a car with which he can compete for the championship. With an eighth title, Hamilton would single-handedly become the record holder. He now shares the record with the German Michael Schumacher – who achieved five of his seven triumphs at Ferrari.
At Mercedes, Hamilton has not won a race in the past two years; unique for a driver who had achieved at least one victory in each of his fifteen F1 seasons to date.
The 2022 and 2023 Mercedes cars were the culprit. The team made a major mistake when introducing completely new technical regulations two years ago. Mercedes came up with a radical concept, which turned out not to work at all on the track. Nevertheless, it took another year and a half before the designers realized that they would be better off opting for a different technical approach. In the meantime, the gap to Red Bull, which had taken the right direction from the start, remained considerable. And in the modern, highly professional Formula 1, where margins are ultra-small, it is not easy to close such a gap.
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Forty years
The major uncertain factor about Hamilton’s transfer is that it will only take place in a year’s time. A year in which a lot can happen. What if Mercedes starts winning races again, while Ferrari performs worse than expected? It is reminiscent of the fuss surrounding Hamilton’s former teammate Jenson Button. The Briton announced in 2004 that he would switch from BAR to Williams two years later – but regretted it when it became apparent in the meantime that things were not going so well at Williams. BAR bought out his contract for the equivalent of 27 million euros, Button’s transfer did not go through.
And although Hamilton is undisputedly one of the greatest drivers of all time, his own performance is also a question mark. After a mediocre performance in 2022, when he was beaten by his young teammate and compatriot George Russell, he seemed to be back in good form last year. But by the time he puts on his Ferrari overalls, Hamilton will be 40 – elderly by F1 standards. Although Hamilton can draw hope from his still lightning-fast contemporary Fernando Alonso (42), who was one of the trendsetters of the season with eight podium finishes for Aston Martin last year.
Alonso preceded Hamilton in 2010 by switching to Ferrari as a two-time world champion. The German Sebastian Vettel (four titles) and the Frenchman Alain Prost (three) also tried to add championships to their list of honors for the Italian team, which would have meant just a little more than the titles they already had. None of them succeeded.
That is also Ferrari: the team where things often just don’t work out – where success always occurs next season will come. The great pressure from outside and the emotions surrounding the iconic brand contribute to an occasionally chaotic corporate culture, in which a new team boss has to turn the tide every time. And then fly out the door as soon as that doesn’t work. Ferrari has worn no fewer than four in the past ten years. The last time a Ferrari driver became champion was sixteen years ago (Kimi Räikkönen).
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Only for Michael Schumacher did his Ferrari time become a great success. Not least because there were two non-Italians at the helm for many years: the Frenchman Jean Todt and the British Ross Brawn. Under their stable rule, Ferrari was unbeatable between 2000 and 2004. Now, for the first time since 2007, the team is led by a foreigner: the Frenchman Fred Vasseur, who has been undergoing major reforms behind the scenes since his appointment at the beginning of 2023.
In any case, Hamilton’s decision to move to Ferrari next year is a gamble. Just like his switch from McLaren to Mercedes was. Hamilton was considered crazy because he gave up a place at a team that consistently competed for victories, so that he could drive for a competitor who was clearly lower in the rankings. Eleven years and a bulging trophy cabinet later, there is one difference: Hamilton has nothing to lose with his new adventure.