Just six months ago, Lewis Hamilton claimed that he wanted to hang his boots at Mercedes. However, those remarks of his have aged badly since he decided to move to Ferrari in 2025. As confusion ensued on why Hamilton decided to jump ship, many speculated on whether the Silver Arrows pushed the Briton away amid his latest contract extension. There were several demands of the seven-time champion that Mercedes did not fulfill in the 1+1 year deal till 2025. However, Hamilton’s latest comments don’t reflect that.
Hamilton told the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast how everything about his Ferrari move “happened very fast”. As quoted by The Independent, he said, “The opportunity just popped up and I was like ‘Ok I’ve got to think for a second’ and I didn’t have a lot of time to think. I just had to go with my gut feeling and I decided to take the opportunity.”
The #44 driver was negotiating with Mercedes on a 10-year ambassadorial. However, the German brand reportedly denied such a demand and were not willing to give a long-term contract to Hamilton.
The 39-year-old was looking to seal a two or three-year deal at minimum to extend his stay at Brackley. However, eventually, it came out that he only got a 1+1 year deal, with an option to extend for 2025. Thus, many speculated that this compromise may have pushed the Briton away to Ferrari.
Since signing the deal, the Mercedes maestro has cited Ferrari as his dream move. Hamilton‘s comments don’t seem like he pre-planned the switch. Still, there must have been something in the back of his mind about the Silver Arrows not fulfilling his demands.
Eventually, the Italian team swooped in to offer him a better deal. The seven-time champion reportedly has a 2+1 year deal at Ferrari. Besides this, his salary may also be significantly higher, with Ferrari chairman John Elkann also agreeing to make the Briton their ambassador.
Ferrari ensured they carefully poached Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes
It was a huge shock when the news came out that Lewis Hamilton would be a Ferrari driver in 2025. Such was the secrecy Ferrari operated with as they did not let things get out of hand with rumors. In fact, when the rumors came last year, it seemed like regular silly season chatter.
Mercedes were certainly caught off guard by Hamilton’s decision. Most of all, it was Toto Wolff who felt shocked by the timing of the move. The Austrian highlighted that he anticipated Hamilton to part ways with Mercedes in the coming future.
However, he never expected it to happen so soon even before the 2024 season even began. From a competitive perspective, Ferrari has been better in the new ground effect era since 2022. So, it makes sense why the 39-year-old may feel that Ferrari have better prospects ahead as compared to Mercedes.
Hence, Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari may also align very well with their championship hopes. Given that 2025 is just a year before the 2026 engine regulations come in, the Italian outfit will hope they return to the top of the standings with the seven-time champion chasing his eighth title.
