A huge rumor spread from the F1 world on Thursday, when several international media reported on Mercedes Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari for 2025.
The matter was reported by BBC, Autosport and Sky Sport, among others. For example, according to Sky Sports, Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari will be confirmed during Thursday.
Hamilton, who has won the drivers’ world championship seven times, has been driving for Mercedes since 2013. During that time, he has achieved, among other things, six World Championship titles for drivers. The British driver’s first championship is from 2008, when he raced for McLaren.
Hamilton is by many papers the best F1 driver in history. Among other things, he has the most race wins (103) and the most pole positions (104) in history. With his seven championships, he shares the first place Michael Schumacher with.
The 39-year-old Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension with Mercedes last season. According to Autosport, for example, the contract from 2025 would actually only be an option.
Urheilu’s F1 expert Jukka Mildh says we’re talking about quite a news/rumor bombshell. The timing would be interesting, because there is usually no big driver news at the beginning of the year.
– Some kind of flame is burning somewhere, because this has become such a big deal. It is interesting that the tests for the upcoming season will be run in three weeks. The fact that such matters are being discussed now seems a little strange.
Familiar team manager
During his F1 career, which has lasted since 2007, Hamilton has only driven for McLaren and Mercedes. According to Mildh, many things would favor Hamilton moving to Ferrari. The big dream of many racing drivers is to drive in the Ferrari F1 team.
The key is a competitive car. Even in 2021, Hamilton was fighting fiercely for the championship with Red Bull Max Verstappen’s with.
In the previous two seasons, Red Bull and Verstappen have been completely superior, while Hamilton has not achieved a race victory at all. Last season he was third in the World Championship points and left his young teammate, of George Russell completely overshadowed.
Ferrari is just as much a risk as Mercedes, as Red Bull is believed to dominate the series next season as well. In 2026, however, the rules will change with regard to engines, among other things, which could open a place for Ferrari to strike.
From Fred Vausser became Ferrari’s team manager just over a year ago. According to Mildh, Vasseur is the right person to lead the Italian giant towards the top fight of the series.
He is already familiar to Hamilton from the small formula classes. Before his F1 career in 2006, Hamilton won the GP2 championship (now F2) in the ART team run by Vasseur.
– He has a mandate and a requirement to take the team to a new level. Vasseur knows Hamilton well. Ferrari needs a rational, leading driver. I think Hamilton is very rational in his execution.
– This would be a really important matter for the Ferrari organization and owners. The ability of the stable must be developed and quickly. Must be ready by 2026, when new engines will be introduced in the series.
A chance for Ferrari
Ferrari’s current star driver Charles Leclerc has a reputation as a goldsmith in the Italian stable. The Ferrari Academy graduate has been driving in the team since 2019.
Leclerc has excelled especially as a fast time trial driver with 23 pole positions. In 2022, he even drove for the world championship from the beginning of the season, but the World Championship chase ended short due to, among other things, Ferrari’s unreliability problems and the team’s wrong tactical choices.
Leclerc’s current contract expires this season, but last week it was reported that the Monaco native has signed a multi-year contract with the team. Leclerc has experience working as a teammate of a well-deserved star driver.
In 2019 and 2020, Leclerc drove the four-time World Championship winner Sebastian Vettel’s as a team mate. In their first season together, clashes were not avoided. However, Mildh does not feel that the Leclerc-Hamilton driver pair is a significant threat to the team.
– I believe that Leclerc will have a long career with Ferrari. His manager is Nicholas Todt, who has collaborated with Vasseur for a long time. A lot of money has been invested around Leclerc with this team.
– I see Hamilton as an investment. By investing in Hamilton, the stable could be developed. He will hardly drive for long, so Leclerc would still have a chance to win the world championship.
Impact on Bottas’ Audi opportunity?
A Spaniard has been driving as Leclerc’s teammate for three years Carlos Sainz. They have formed a good pair, although Leclerc has been clearly ahead, especially in the time trials.
– We also want a very tough competitor for Leclerc. Hamilton could take the intra-team competition to completely new dimensions. There are risks involved, but I believe that Leclerc will play a significant role in the development of the team.
There was already time to wonder why Ferrari hasn’t made a new extension contract with Sainz, when news broke about Leclerc’s extension. Hamilton moving to Ferrari would explain this. It could have an effect at the same time Valtteri Bottas to the situation.
Bottas’ contract with Sauber still covers the 2024 season. Bottas has expressed his interest in continuing with Sauber even longer, as from 2026 Sauber is scheduled to become Audi’s factory team.
Several F1 media have speculated recently that Sainz would be moving from Ferrari to Sauber/Audi. This would have its own effects on Bottas’ future chances in the team.
Mercedes in an equal position
For Mercedes, what would make the situation confusing is that Hamilton will drive for Mercedes this season.
– It would seem crazy to start building things for Mercedes for one year and then jump to Ferrari. Definitely the team manager Toto Wolff not interested in such a situation.
However, Mildh does not believe that the move will affect Mercedes’ sporting setup this season. Hamilton and Russell would be on equal footing.
– Favoring another driver will be decided by which of the drivers is closer to the championship at the end of the season. Until then, these contracts will be handled professionally. Mercedes is a team of such a high level that no one goes there to be fooled.