Motor Sports News : Lewis Hamilton’s future is expected to be decided soon, as he is set for a spectacular move to Ferrari in 2025.
Though it’s unclear if a formal contract has been inked, Motorsport.com is aware that talks are progressing and could be finished by this coming weekend.
Ferrari has been pursuing Hamilton for a long time, but the seven-time champion has previously turned down Ferrari’s advances because he believed Mercedes was providing a better path to victory.
But after two difficult seasons for Mercedes, it seems like Ferrari is getting close to persuading Hamilton that it is a better option going forward.
It now seems like Hamilton may have only had the choice to stay for the second season after signing a multi-year contract with Mercedes for 2024 and 2025 last year.
This implies that Hamilton will have a way out, meaning he can join as early as 2025 if he contracts with Ferrari. Mercedes and Ferrari have both declined to comment on the circumstances.
Mercedes’ future
If Hamilton’s departure is confirmed, Mercedes will suffer a severe setback given they negotiated a protracted contract with him last year in order to retain his services for this season.
Speaking shortly after the agreement was finalized, Hamilton made a point of saying he thought Mercedes had learned from its difficult 2022–2023 seasons and would have an opportunity to win it all again with its brand-new vehicle for this season.
When asked if he ever had any doubts about returning to the lead during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year, he responded, “No, not during the negotiations,” to a question from Motorsport.com.
“As a team, we have been here before, and even with the increasing number of new members, we still have wonderful values. I see tremendous dedication in everyone, so I do have hope that we will succeed.
“I think they thought the fundamentals were good for this year [2023] and we just have to go here and it’s not the case,” he continued. I was upset in February because they hadn’t implemented the adjustments I had requested.However, with the adjustments we are making, I hope I was correct, I hope we are correct, and, well, we’re not sure what the Red Bulls will do.
It’s unknown what has caused Hamilton to perhaps reconsider his commitment to Mercedes, where he was supposed to finish off his Formula One career.
Mercedes recently announced that technical director James Allison and team manager Toto Wolff had signed long-term contracts, and early signs from the wind tunnel suggest the new W15 will be a positive step forward for the team.