Lewis Hamilton gives an emotional farewell to Mercedes.
British racer will race for Ferrari starting in 2025.
Following the surprise revelation of his resignation from Mercedes at the end of the season, English driver Sir Lewis Hamilton sent a heartfelt farewell to the team where he spent the previous 11 years, winning seven drivers’ championships.
In his statement, Hamilton stated that his decision was heavily impacted by his desire to incorporate a fresh challenge into the late stages of his career, particularly after spending so much time at Mercedes.
“Mercedes has been a huge part of my life…so this decision has been the hardest I’ve ever had to make,” Hamilton wrote on social media.
“It’s time to make a change and face a new challenge. When I first joined Mercedes in 2013, I recall feeling like I was taking a leap of faith into unfamiliar territory.
“I know some people didn’t understand it at the time, but I was right to make the move, and I still feel the same way now.” I’m anxious to see what I can contribute to this new opportunity and what we can accomplish together.”
Racing for Ferrari is a longstanding goal for Hamilton.
While Carlos Sainz will be forced to leave the Scuderia, Hamilton’s arrival will allow the British driver to realise a long-held desire of racing for the Italian squad.
However, they have recently struggled, having not won a single drivers’ championship since Kimi Raikkonen narrowly defeated a rookie Hamilton for the title in 2007.
Despite having one of the largest budgets in motorsport, the team has suffered from managerial errors ever since.
It’s not too dissimilar to the circumstances when Michael Schumacher joined the team in 1996, after a 17-year drought since Jody Scheckter won the world championship with the Italian giants.
That worked out well for everyone concerned, though it did mean Ferrari relinquishing most of their race control to Schumacher. The squad will most certainly have to do the same for Hamilton, who is desperate to win another world championship.
However, this is not at all relevant until 2025, when Hamilton‘s contract with Ferrari begins, and the British icon has been eager to make clear his focus will remain on Mercedes until that time.
“Right now, I’m not thinking about 2025,” he concluded.
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