For 11 years, Lewis Hamilton has been a member of Mercedes and during his tenure there, he secured six championship titles with the Silver Arrows.
Lewis Hamilton’s announcement that he would be leaving Mercedes after eleven years has rocked the Formula 1 community.
The news of his departure to join their competitors, Ferrari, came as a surprise to many fans and followers of the sport. At 39 years old, Hamilton is embarking on an exciting new chapter in his career journey.
Instead of renewing Carlos Sainz’s contract, whose Ferrari tenure concludes at the end of 2022, Fred Vasseur’s team has decided to pursue the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
When he joins forces with Monegasque racer Charles Leclerc, Hamilton will form a duo for their upcoming endeavors.
The Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday 2 March at 3pm marks the start of the forthcoming season in 2024. All twenty drivers have returned from their winter hiatus, geared up for a busy year featuring twenty-four races.
Notably, this will also be Hamilton’s final run with Mercedes before he transitions to join Italian Horses. In preparation for race day, read on for key details surrounding when and why Hamilton is making his move.
AT WHAT POINT IN TIME WILL LEWIS HAMILTON TRANSFER TO FERRARI?
Okwon six drivers’ championships but 2024 will be his final year with them.
The 2025 season will see Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton team up together.
In 2014, he secured his initial victory and continued to triumph in consecutive years between 2015-2020. Throughout his career span of 39 years, the driver has attained a total of eighty-two race wins with Silver Arrows as his partner; however, currently awaiting success since winning at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix during late 2021.
As an alternative outcome Max Verstappen acquired notoriety for taking home the contentious title of World Champion for that same year’s competition instead.
WHAT DID LEWIS HAMILTON EXPRESS?
Hamilton said that the reason for making the upcoming move was to achieve a childhood aspiration.
Hamilton expressed that undoubtedly, every driver during their formative years would have observed the past events and admired Michael Schumacher’s peak performances.
Hamilton suggested that quite possibly all of them secretly imagine themselves in a scenario where they witness an image on screen portraying a red cockpit-bound driver and contemplate what it could feel like to be enclosed by such crimson surroundings.
While attending the Italian Grand Prix, one cannot help but be amazed by the tremendous number of Ferrari fans who are dressed in red. Despite their team’s lack of significant achievements since 2007, I viewed this as a formidable test and stood there awestruck.
Even during my childhood years spent playing racing games, I would take on Michael Schumacher’s persona while driving that particular car; thus, it is an absolute dream come true for me to join them now and consequently fills me with excitement beyond measure.”
When questioned about the implications for his exit from Mercedes, Hamilton expressed that he had an extraordinary 11-year stint with the team and felt a strong sense of pride in their accomplishments.
Given that Mercedes has been intertwined into his life since adolescence, it was difficult to make the decision to depart as it represented one of his toughest decisions ever made.
It’s the perfect moment for me to embark on this journey and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The exceptional backing from my Mercedes team, particularly Toto (Wolff) who has been a great friend and guide, is something that will remain etched in my heart forever. Let’s end it with a bang together!
This season, I am wholeheartedly devoted to putting up an outstanding performance and ensuring that my final year at Silver Arrows becomes truly unforgettable.”
HOW MUCH IS LEWIS HAMILTON WORTH?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the driver who is 39 years old possesses a net worth of more than $300 million (£237m). His income from racing amounts to around $55 million annually and he happens to be one among world’s highly remunerated athletes. Apart from this, he has also explored his interest in fashion industry as well as NFL franchise and film by investing in them.