When Sir Lewis Hamilton announced that he was leaving the Mercedes family for Ferrari it was a move that stunned the world of F1 motor racing. Not only had Hamilton driven for the team for 18 seasons, he had also signed a contract that would have seen him continue to do so until the end of the 2025.
But times change and with now four years have passed since winning his last championship title it was obviously time for a change. Hamilton has been very open about his reasons for choosing to head for Ferrari. Not only is it realising a childhood dream to drive for the team, it’s also going to reunite him with Fred Vasseur, a relationship that began in Hamilton’s Formula 3 days and latterly in GP2.
And, although he hasn’t said it out loud yet, he also probably sees this as the last throw of the dice in his bid to beat Max Verstappen to the title. He’s currently the fourth favorite according to bookmakers. In the US, various sportsbooks offer welcome bonuses and promotions, with odds that may vary between them. However, most have fellow British driver Lando Norris as the favorite to win the Drivers’ Championship.
Of course, Hamilton isn’t the first British driver to earn the privilege of driving for Ferrari, but he will be hoping that his achievements will exceed those of these six predecessors.
Mike Hawthorn
It wasn’t long after first driving in Formula 1 in 1952 that Hawthorn came to the attention of Enzo Ferrari. So by the 1953 season he was behind the wheel for the team and scored a stunning win in the French Grand Prix following an epic 60-lap battle against the legendary Fangio. He left the team in 1955 only to return two years later – a move which coincided with the launch of the 246 F1 car. This saw him claim seven podium finishes over the course of the 1958 season on his way to becoming the team’s first ever British World Champion.
Peter Collins
Collins’ time at Ferrari overlapped with Hawthorn’s having joined in 1956. He earned a special place in the heart of Enzo thanks to his quiet and collaborative nature. He willingly stood back from his chances of becoming World Champion to allow Fangio to claim the title for the fourth time. It’s said that his relationship with Hawthorn was so close that they shared any prize money that each won. However he did battle him to claim victory at Silverstone in 1958 showing that the friendship did have its limits.
John Surtees
Following a very successful racing career on two wheels with MV Agusta Surtees moved to Ferrari in 1963 wanting to experience Italian expertise on four wheels too. A dramatic victory in the German Grand prix announced his arrival. The next season he won two races on his way to becoming World Champion. Despite his success the famously fiery Surtees soon ruffled feathers at the team and fell foul of the complex internal politics. So he left under something of a cloud at the end of the 1966 season.
Nigel Mansell
When Mansell joined the team in 1989 it had been over 20 years since the last British driver at Ferrari. Having become frustrated with the Williams team’s failure to develop a turbo engine, the prospect of driving the 640 was more than enough to persuade him to move to Maranello. Although he became a big favourite of fans the car never lived up to expectations and proved to be fairly unreliable. Nevertheless, his two seasons did produce 11 podium finishes including three wins. Asked recently about Hamilton’s move “Il Leone” had some very positive things to say.
Eddie Irvine
The talented Eddie Irvine had what could politely be called a Cinderella career at Ferrari thanks to being second in line to Michael Schumacher. His first season was blighted by no less than eight failures to finish and he ended up a lowly tenth in the 1996 Drivers’ Championship. It wasn’t until 1999 that he registered his first victory in the season’s opener in Melbourne with three more to follow. With Schumacher out of action with a broken leg for much of the season it was a battle with McClaren’s Mika Hakkinen for the title, which he lost.
Oliver Bearman
Last season when Carlos Sainz Jr. was struck down with appendicitis on the eve of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix it was the 18-year-old Bearman who was his surprise replacement. He had been in the team’s Driver Academy since 2022 but certainly wasn’t expecting a call-up quite so soon. In the race he exceeded all expectations, taking 11th position on the grid and holding off Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris to finish seventh and become the youngest ever driver to score points on their F1 debut.
So we wait to see what Hamilton can achieve for Ferrari once his current round of appearances and PR duties end and the serious racing starts. Let’s hope it’s chequered flags all the way!
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