Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari in 2025, is one of the biggest news F1 fans have come across in recent times. After he signed his contract extension with Mercedes back in August 2023, most felt he would retire with the Silver Arrows. But completing his long-awaited dream move to Ferrari will certainly make fans hope for a fairytale ending to Hamilton’s glittering career. What many don’t recall, however, is that Hamilton could have considered leaving Mercedes for another team, had his Maranello switch not worked out.
In 2020, Hamilton appeared in a talk show, as posted on YouTube by SAVSF1WORLD. When the host asked Hamilton, what team he would drive for other than Mercedes, the seven-time world champion resorted to a very diplomatic answer.
Talking about his ties with Mercedes since he was 13 years old, Hamilton admitted that there was no other team he could go to. The only names, however, that came to his mind were Ferrari – and McLaren. Yes, Hamilton started his career at McLaren before moving to Mercedes. But he said in the interview, that he wouldn’t mind retiring at McLaren either.
“If McLaren came back and had a chance, it could be cool to finish there one day.”
This comment resurfaced after Hamilton’s blockbuster transfer to Ferrari, which leaves Carlos Sainz without a seat for 2025. In his words, if McLaren was strong at the moment and competing for a world title, would he have ditched his ‘dream’ Ferrari move for a return to Woking?
How Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes exit would have differed
Hamilton leaving Mercedes was an inevitability that was put to rest by a hard-fought negotiation between the two parties back in 2023. But the 39-year-old was always looking to leave Brackley, as was evident by his sudden desire to switch. He activated the release clause in the two-year contract and decided to leave after the 2024 season.
It is no secret that Ferrari is a dream for Hamilton. But as revealed in the interview, if McLaren was stronger, his Mercedes exit could have been very different. Hamilton could have had a triumphant return to a ‘championship contending’ McLaren outfit, to finish the story.
Remember this conversation…#F1 #LewisHamilton #Ferrari pic.twitter.com/412bnoJNgI
— Grant Rivers (@GrantSRivers) February 1, 2024
He won his first world title with the papaya outfit in 2007, before leaving for Mercedes in 2013. In Brackley, he added six world championships to his name and his career could have come back in full circle, had he won his eighth title at McLaren.
On the other hand, Hamilton and Ferrari have a thing in common. They are both desperate for a world championship and with time running out for the Briton, he wants to be the man to bring championship glory back to the town of Maranello in Italy.
