Lewis Hamilton spoke in a press conference for the first time this year during the final day of the 2024 Formula 1 pre-season testing session at the Bahrain International Circuit and, as expected, the seven-time champion faced extensive questioning about his surprising decision to join Scuderia Ferrari starting with the next F1 season, a move which was officially confirmed at the beginning of the month.
To kick things off, here’s an initial response from Lewis Hamilton regarding the changes that led him to activate a break clause in his new two-year Mercedes contract, signed last August, even before completing the first season of that contract:
“Obviously in summer we signed and at that time I saw my future with Mercedes” – the British driver replied – “But an opportunity came up in the New Year and I decided to take it. It was obviously the hardest decision I think I’ve ever had to make. 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 have created history within the sport and it’s something I take a lot of pride in and am very proud of what we’ve achieved. But I think ultimately I’m writing my story and I felt like it was time to start a new chapter.” – Lewis Hamilton continued.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion also confirmed that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was a key element in his decision to join the Maranello team:
“I’ve got a great relationship with Fred. Obviously, I raced for him in Formula 3 and we had amazing success in Formula 3 and also in GP2, and that’s really where the foundation of our relationship started.” – he explained.
“And we just always remained in touch. I thought that he was going to be an amazing team manager at some stage and progress to Formula 1, but at the time he wasn’t interested in that. And it was really cool to see him step into the Alfa (Sauber) team. And then when he got the job at Ferrari, I was just so happy for him. And I think just the stars aligned. I think it really wouldn’t have happened without him. So I’m really grateful and really excited about the work that that he’s doing there.” – Lewis Hamilton concluded.
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