Feb 1, 2024 at 10:03 AM Update: 6 hours ago
There seems to be a landslide coming in Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton is leaving, according to the Spanish newspaper, among others ASthe Italian branch of Motorsport.com and the generally reliable Autosport to Ferrari in 2025.
At the Italian team, 39-year-old Hamilton must replace Carlos Sainz, who does not want to extend his contract.
AS reports on Thursday morning that the “transfer of the decade” is as good as complete. Only the final details remain to be worked out. If that succeeds, Hamilton will become the teammate of Charles Leclerc next year, who recently extended his contract with the ‘Scuderia’ for several years.
Hamilton’s arrival means that Sainz, whose contract expires at the end of this year, will leave. Negotiations between the 29-year-old Spaniard and his current employer appear to have reached a standstill. According to Spanish media, Sainz has now set his sights on a transfer to Mercedes, Aston Martin or Audi.
Hamilton extended his contract with Mercedes last year until the end of 2025, but might leave earlier due to various release clauses. This year he starts his twelfth season with the German racing team.
Foto: Pro Shots
Hamilton one of the most successful F1 drivers ever
Hamilton is one of the most successful Formula 1 drivers ever. The Briton won his seventh world title in 2020, equaling the record of the legendary Michael Schumacher. He has the most Grand Prix victories to his name (103), also captured the most pole positions (104) and has been on the podium the most times (197).
The Briton made his Formula 1 debut on behalf of McLaren in 2007 and almost immediately won the world title in his first season. He ultimately fell two points short of beating Kimi Raïkkönen. In his second season, Hamilton did manage to win the championship.
After that, championships were not available for Hamilton for a long time, following which he moved to Mercedes in 2013. With the German team he dominated Formula 1 for a long time. In the period 2014 to 2020, he only did not become champion in 2016.
Hamilton has been struggling in recent years. Since he narrowly missed his eighth world title in 2021, he has not won a single race. He achieved his last victory at the end of 2021 in the Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia.
The Formula 1 season starts this year on March 2 with the Bahrain Grand Prix. The traditional test days are scheduled in the same country from February 21 to 23.
