Future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has confessed that it was “terrifying” to break the news to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff about his departure from the German side after signing with the Maranello team for the 2025 Formula 1 championship.
In February, Lewis Hamilton stunned the F1 community by announcing his multi-year deal with Ferrari, ending a successful chapter with Mercedes. Since joining from McLaren in 2013, he has clinched six of his seven World Championships with the team and became the first driver to surpass 100 Grand Prix wins and pole positions, powered by Mercedes engines throughout his 350 races since 2007.
Lewis Hamilton’s decision to leave followed two challenging seasons, including his first winless year in 2022, as Mercedes struggled to adapt to new ground-effect regulations. Remarkably, this shift came less than six months after he had signed a two-year contract extension, exercising a break clause just before the Italian Grand Prix in August 2023.
Now 39, Lewis Hamilton recently celebrated his return to victory lane at Silverstone, ending a 945-day winless streak, and later triumphed at the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium.
After Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move was made public, Toto Wolff shared that the British driver had revealed his decision during a breakfast meeting about 36 hours prior to the official announcement. Wolff had heard rumors of Hamilton’s departure but chose to wait for the driver to confirm it himself.
Reflecting on the conversation, Lewis Hamilton admitted it was a daunting moment to inform Wolff of his plans. He shared his long-standing dream of racing for Ferrari, inspired by Michael Schumacher’s legendary success with the team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Lewis Hamilton, who took Michael Schumacher’s place at Mercedes at the end of the 2012 Formula One season, has forged one of the most successful driver-team partnerships in F1 history.
In an interview with the Times, he elaborated on these feelings.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions from the moment I signed the contract — telling my boss, that was terrifying. But it is so exciting because I remember as a kid watching Michael. Every driver watches that car and you’re like: ‘What would it be like to sit in the red cockpit?’”
Mercedes announced at the recent Italian Grand Prix that rising star Andrea Kimi Antonelli will take over Hamilton’s seat for the 2025 F1 season, moving up from the Formula 2 feeder series.
In the hours following the announcement in the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit, Lewis Hamilton revealed that he felt “quite emotional” about the transition, as the seat he has occupied since 2013 will now be filled by another driver. He shared his thoughts with the media, saying:
“I knew it would be announced this morning. I definitely woke up and it was very, very, very surreal to just have, at least officially confirmed, my seat is going that I held onto for so long. So it was quite emotional this morning, but I’m really, really happy for Kimi and for this team – I know Kimi is going to do a great job.”
When asked if he’s feeling more emotional as his time with Mercedes comes to a close, he replied, “I’ve felt this way all season. With each race, the emotions just keep building. I love my team so much. We have been through a hell of a lot together so it will be emotional every single race. Because every race we do is the last time at that particular place. Every race we get closer and closer to the last time I’ll be in that Mercedes. It’s going to be tough, but my focus is just to do my best job for the team and to finish on a high.”
Lewis Hamilton reflected on his feelings following the Italian Grand Prix weekend, noting that this final European race of the F1 2024 season marked the last occasion he would occupy his room in Mercedes’ hospitality unit during a race weekend.
“Leaving Monza, it hit me that it was the last European race this year,” he wrote in a social media post. “The last time I’ll be in my room in engineering that’s been my home for 12 years. This is such a unique time in my life, one that continues to bring out a lot of emotions. What I feel the most is pride and gratitude. The memories will last forever, as will the memories I make next year.” – he concluded.
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