Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and join Ferrari from the 2025 F1 season, it has been confirmed.
The seven-time F1 world champion will officially leave the Silver Arrows at the end of the upcoming season, replacing Carlos Sainz at Ferrari.
In doing so, Hamilton will bring to a close an association of over 25 years with Mercedes, which dates back to when they were an engine supplier for his former team McLaren.
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Hamilton won six of his seven titles after joining the works Mercedes team from McLaren in 2013, and broke several records including the most individual race wins in F1 history, most pole positions and most podiums.
It was expected that the Brit would end his career at the Silver Arrows, having signed a two-year contract to cover the 2024 and 2025 seasons in August.
But reports emerged on Thursday morning that the second year was only an option, freeing up Hamilton to leave the team ahead of 2025.
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And he will now join Ferrari in a move that has sent shockwaves through the sport, with the Scuderia finally landing Hamilton after years of trying to secure his signature.
Both teams have now confirmed the move, with Hamilton making a lengthy statement in a Mercedes press release over what he describes as 'one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make'.
He explained: "I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I'm so proud of what we have achieved together.
"Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It's a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.
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"But the time is right now for me to take this step and I'm excited to be taking on a new challenge.
"I will be forever grateful to the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto [Wolff, team principal] for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together.
"I am 100% committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows one to remember."
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Toto Wolff said: "In terms of a team-driver pairing, our relationship with Lewis has become the most successful the sport has seen, and that's something that we can look back on with pride; Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history.
"However, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come.
"We accept Lewis's decision to seek a fresh challenge, and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate.
"But for now, we still have one season to go, and we are focused on going racing to deliver a strong 2024."
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Ferrari have confirmed that Hamilton will join on a 'multi-year contract' from 2025, although gave no further details in their short initial statement.
Featured Image Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 TeamTopics: Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1, Mercedes, Ferrari, Charles Leclerc