In a career-defining turn of events, seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has shared the reasoning behind his monumental decision to leave Mercedes and join Scuderia Ferrari, the sport’s most storied and successful team.
The British driver stunned the motorsport world on February 1st with the announcement of his departure from Mercedes. The news sent shockwaves through the Formula One community, as the British driver was originally contracted to remain with the Brackley-based team until the close of the 2025 F1 season.
The move became possible due to an exit clause in Lewis Hamilton’s contract, which allowed him to part ways with Mercedes prematurely. Exercising this option, Lewis Hamilton decided to terminate his agreement at the conclusion of the current season, opting to embrace a fresh challenge with Ferrari starting next year.
As the joint most decorated driver in Formula One history—sharing the record of seven world championships with the legendary Michael Schumacher—Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari represents a seismic shift in the sport. The decision reflects not only his enduring hunger for success but also a desire to cement his legacy with a new chapter at the Scuderia.
Speaking to *The Mirror*, Matt Whyman, author of the newly released book *Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane*, offered insights into Hamilton’s motivations for making this bold move to join Ferrari: “I asked him directly what was going on and he just said, ‘It is every kid’s dream who gets involved in motor racing to race a Ferrari, and that is it – I did not want to get to the end of my career and look back and go, what if? His team mean a great deal to him – all his engineers, Bono, all the team, they mean such a lot to him. Every year he takes them paintballing, just a pre-season bonding experience, and it was all set up to go so he had to go to the paintballing.
Matt Whyman added: “He said to me that he arrived and he saw them all waiting to go in. He said he could not get out of the car for 20 minutes. He was just so struck with, ‘What am I going to say to them after all of this time?’ He is very human. I do not think this was a robotic decision. I know Lewis can come across as very focused and it is a focused decision, but he is a human being, he knows that it has repercussions and on a friendship level, that was the thing that he cared about most of all. Talking to his colleagues, I think everyone understands. It is Ferrari, and this is a guy who has done everything – that is the one think he has not done.” – award-winning writer Matt Whyman concluded.
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