Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton recently shed light on his highly anticipated move from Mercedes, his racing home of more than a decade, to Ferrari in 2025. His comments followed a triumphant win at the British Grand Prix, his first victory in almost three years, buoyed by the latest upgrades to the Brackley team’s car. That victory, however, was overshadowed by his upcoming move to Ferrari, which he described as a leap into uncharted waters.
The British driver, who began his Formula 1 career with McLaren in 2007 and joined Mercedes in 2013, has forged an era-defining partnership with the latter, racking up a string of victories that have secured his place among the sport’s greats. His new three-year deal with Ferrari promises not only a personal pay rise, but also continued support for his charity initiative, Mission 44, and an ambassadorship with the iconic Italian brand. The new chapter is as lucrative as it is exciting.
Describing his emotions at the prospect of changing teams, Hamilton expressed both the excitement and nervousness inherent in such a major change. He commented, as reported by Planet F1:
“It will be new. It’s also intimidating because it’s new territory, it’s a new experience and it will be a challenge. But, you know, I like challenges.
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“I expect it to be very different. I mean, the two teams I played for were British teams. So I’m going to be entering a completely different culture in Italy.
“If you think about us British, we are very calm and more serene when you have success, when you have difficult days, everyone is more relaxed whereas the Italians are much more emotional.
“It’s a very different culture. I don’t really know what to expect, but I’ve raced in Italy so I expect it to be very different but special and unique in some ways.
“Naturally, I think it’s all going to seem strange because I’ve been working at Mercedes for so long. So it’s going to be really strange!”
Despite his imminent departure, Hamilton is determined to ensure Mercedes’ continued success until the end of his tenure. He has been deeply involved in the development of the current Mercedes F1 car and has a transparent relationship with the team. Refuting any notion of detachment or isolation, Hamilton said:
“I do not think so.
“So far I have been very involved in the development of this car. I think this is the only way we can work this year.
“I haven’t hidden anything from them and they haven’t hidden anything from me. I want the team to succeed, even when I’m not there.
“I think with the success that we’ve had recently, I mean, I’m a part of it and I feel really grateful and proud to be a part of it.”
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