On the deadline day of European football’s winter transfer window, 1 February, the most surprising transfer update comes from the pinnacle of motorsports – Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world championship-winning driver, is all set to shift allegiance from Mercedes to Ferrari in the 2025 season.
Hamilton, who joined Mercedes from McLaren in 2013, has been associated with the Silver Arrows for the past decade. Six of the British driver’s seven championships were won with the German team, the last of them being in 2020.
Despite Mercedes’ performance taking a nosedive since the latest regulations were implemented in 2021, Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension with the Stuttgart-based team last year, tying him down to the team till 2025.
Although, the team has revealed that Hamilton had a release clause in his contract, which allowed him to part ways with the team.
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Lewis Hamilton will part ways at the end of the 2024 season. Lewis has activated a release option in the contract announced last August and this season will therefore be his last driving for the Silver Arrows.Statement from Mercedes
However, Hamilton is now all set to drive for the Italian giants, Scuderia Ferrari, from the 2025 season.
At the ‘Prancing Horse,’ Hamilton will be joined by Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, who recently signed a contract extension till the 2029 season. Hamilton’s inclusion in the team from Maranello subsequently means the end of the road for Spanish driver Carlos Sainz, who is currently preparing for what will be his fourth season in red.
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