Lewis Hamilton recently rocked the F1 realm as he announced he will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season to join Ferrari. While the move came as a shock to us all, an update on X by user ‘Sir Lewis Hamilton Updates’ quotes Piero Ferrari, son of founder Enzo Ferrari, who revealed the British driver had thoughts of moving to Ferrari even in 2017.
Despite being a Mercedes driver since 2013, Hamilton always had a knack for supercars and would visit Ferrari’s Maranello factory to purchase iconic cars. He would visit the base to detail specific instructions on how to prep his car. During one such visit, Piero Ferrari went to say goodbye to Hamilton, and the latter said something about his future that stuck with Ferrari to this day.
“If you waited twelve months, I would come.”
Hamilton said this (perhaps jokingly) to Piero Ferrari back when Sebastian Vettel had just signed a new contract with the Italian outfit in 2017, and both parties were enjoying their association. Meanwhile, Hamilton was in the prime of his life with Mercedes and had won four world titles by the time the 2017 season was over.
Eventually, six of his seven world titles came at Mercedes, making the decision for him to leave the Brackley-based team that much more difficult.
Emotions overcome Lewis Hamilton as he bids goodbye to Mercedes after 11 years
In a recent post on his Instagram account, Hamilton addressed the developments that occurred over the last few days, admitting to feeling a wide range of emotions as he decided to leave Mercedes in favor of joining Ferrari at the start of the 2025 season. He revealed the move gives him a chance to finally fulfill his childhood dream of racing in “Ferrari Red” after taking a “leap of faith” when he first joined Mercedes in 2013.
However, the move doesn’t mean Hamilton will lose focus in 2024, as he added he is 100% committed to Mercedes and wants to end his partnership with the Silver Arrows on a high. The Briton thanked his fans for their continued support through thick & thin and expressed gratitude for their love and positive energy throughout his time with Mercedes while hoping to receive the same when he dons the iconic scarlet red of Ferrari.
