Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes after ‘amazing 11 years’ and move to Ferrari

F1 star Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the upcoming season and join Ferrari in 2025.

“I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together,” the 39-year-old British driver said in a statement.

“Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old.

“It’s a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.

“But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge.”

Ferrari confirmed on X that he would join “on a multi-year contract” in 2025 – fans seemed to approve, with 176,000 likes in the first 40 minutes.

The seven-time champion is expected to replace Carlos Sainz at the iconic Italian team.

Sainz’s contract expires at the end of 2024, while Ferrari’s other driver, Charles Leclerc, recently agreed a new long-term deal.

Hamilton had previously been linked with Ferrari, but signed a two-year contract worth £100m last summer to stay at Mercedes.

The move ends an extraordinary partnership, with Hamilton winning six world titles between 2014 to 2020.

However, Mercedes have since fallen off the pace and he hasn’t won a race since 2021.

The team said Hamilton had triggered a release clause included in the deal he signed last year.