Lewis Hamilton has admitted he ‘cannot’ do one thing at Mercedes in 2024 having made an ‘unconscious’ decision relating to his move to Ferrari in the 2025 season.
The 39-year-old will switch the Silver Arrows for the Scuderia next year and end Formula 1’s most successful driver-team pairing. Hamilton shocked the world in February by confirming that he had triggered the escape clause in his contract at Mercedes and signed with Ferrari.
Maranello chiefs handed Hamilton a multi-year contract to replace Carlos Sainz next year as Charles Leclerc’s teammate. The Stevenage-born driver has been in Brackley since the 2013 season. But Hamilton will soon drive for only the third team of his F1 career ever since 2007.
Lewis Hamilton ‘unconsciously’ manifested his move to Ferrari
McLaren gave Hamilton his debut in Formula 1 and took the Briton to the first of his record-equalling seven drivers’ titles in 2008. A shock move to Mercedes ultimately took Hamilton to a level only Michael Schumacher had formerly reached amid their post-2014 dominance.
Hamilton won six titles in seven years from 2014 to 2020 but has not won a Grand Prix since 2021. Mercedes’ difficulties getting on top of F1’s major technical regulation change in 2022 has prevented Hamilton from adding to his record-setting 103 race wins, with 82 with them.
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Mercedes have also taken Hamilton to 78 of his record-setting 104 pole positions and 148 of his F1 record 197 podiums. But he will leave Brackley at the end of this season for a new life in Maranello. Yet Hamilton wants to avoid his move to Ferrari hurting his Mercedes farewell.
Lewis Hamilton fears his move will distract the Mercedes driver
Hamilton has admitted that he likely ‘unconsciously’ manifested his childhood aspiration of joining Ferrari amid Mercedes’ struggles. The Silver Arrows failed to win a single Grand Prix for the first time since 2011 last term. So, he is desperate to help the team recover in 2024.
Deciding to join Ferrari before the 2024 season had started has left Hamilton fearing getting distracted by the move, too. The Briton is committed to helping Mercedes bounce back and wants to hold off on getting his mind ready for racing in red until this season has concluded.
“I’ve manifested everything I’ve ever wanted to do,” Hamilton told GQ. “I do it every year. Working with Tommy [Hilfiger], winning a world championship, breaking records and, so, I’ve had some other plans for the future.
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“Yeah [I manifested the Ferrari move]. I think, perhaps, more unconscious manifesting from the early period of my life. But it’s always been up there for me. For now, though, I’m gonna lift Mercedes as high as I can this year.
“The way that I exist, I don’t look at it as on the way out. My commitment to the team is exactly the same as previous years: I want to kill every other team. We want to beat them. My approach remains the same, right until the end. And [I] can’t let too much of my mind be distracted by what’s afterwards. You can’t really tap into that until next year.”
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