British driver Lewis Hamilton is officially a Ferrari F1 driver, having left Mercedes – and he has already taken to social media.
Seven-time Formula One champion Hamilton, 39, has formally left Mercedes after 12 years as one of the team’s drivers after his contract expired on December 31, 2024.
During his tenure at the German manufacturer, he was crowned World Drivers’ Champion on six occasions in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, but finished eighth in the drivers’ standings in his last season with Benz in 2024.
Today (January 1, 2025), he officially became a Ferrari driver, having announced the shock move in February 2024, triggering a break clause in the two-year deal that he signed at Mercedes back in the summer of 2023, according to RacingNews365.
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The Brit revealed that moving on from Mercedes was the “hardest decision” that he had ever had to make when speaking with F1.com in February 2024.
“An opportunity came up in the new year, and I decided to take it,” he said.
“I feel like… it was obviously the hardest decision that I think I’ve ever had to make. Obviously, I’ve been with Mercedes for, I think it’s like 26 years they’ve supported me, and we’ve had an absolutely incredible journey together.
“We’ve created history within the sport, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in, and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved.”
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Of course, Hamilton is currently tied for the joint-most F1 titles with legend and former Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher. And the German is clearly a source of inspiration for the former McLaren man.
“I think for every driver growing up, watching the history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I think probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up, and you see the driver in the red cockpit, and you wonder what it would be like to be surrounded by the red," added Hamilton.
Now, he has posted to social media to acknowledge his move to the iconic Italian manufacturer.
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On Wednesday afternoon, he posted a photograph of him clad in Ferrari colours while wearing a red helmet when he was a child. The post was accompanied by a red ‘race car emoji’.
The 2025 F1 season is set to get underway in Melbourne, Australia between March 14-16.
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Ferrari
Luke Davies