Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and join Ferrari in the 2025 Formula 1 season, so here is everything that you need to know about the British icon’s move to Maranello.
The Scuderia stunned the world when the news broke that Hamilton had decided to quit the Silver Arrows. He has driven for Mercedes since the 2013 season and has spent his entire F1 career in cars with their engines. Ferrari will also only be the third team on his Formula 1 CV.
Hamilton broke into the pinnacle of motorsport in 2007 with McLaren and stayed in Woking for six seasons. His move to Brackley in 2013 then took Hamilton to astronomical success to equal Michael Schumacher as the only seven-time Formula 1 drivers’ world champions ever.
Mercedes dominating the first eight years of F1’s turbo-hybrid power unit era saw Hamilton break record after record. He won 82 of his 103 Grand Prix victories, reached 148 of his 197 podiums and took 78 of his 104 pole positions with the Silver Arrows before deciding to go.
Ferrari announced that Hamilton had agreed to replace Carlos Sainz on a multi-year contract on February 1, 2024. Sainz was already due to be out of contract at the Scuderia after 2024. So, how long will Hamilton’s contract at Ferrari actually be and how much will they pay him?
How long is Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Ferrari?
Ferrari only announced that Hamilton will leave Mercedes to replace Sainz in Maranello on a multi-year contract starting in 2025. But the length of the Briton’s contract with the Scuderia is widely believed to be for an initial two years and includes the option to continue for 2027.
Hamilton and Ferrari agreeing on a contract which takes him into the 2026 season will offer them both the chance to see how the other fares when Formula 1 introduces new technical and engine regulations. It will allow for a clean break if one does not deliver as is hoped for.
What will Lewis Hamilton’s wage be at Ferrari?
Ferrari will make Hamilton the best-paid driver on the 2025 Formula 1 grid with his expected wage. The Stevenage-born icon is currently the highest earner in F1 at Mercedes in terms of all base salaries, per Forbes. But Red Bull rival Max Verstappen can earn more after bonuses.
Red Bull pay Verstappen a base salary of $45m (£36m) but bonuses can increase his wage to $70m (£56m) per year. Hamilton makes all of his wage at Mercedes as a guaranteed fee. Yet many facets including his base wage will play into Hamilton’s salary when he joins Ferrari.
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According to Formu1a.uno, Ferrari offered Hamilton a salary reaching $100m (£80m) a year to leave Mercedes. Scuderia president John Elkann also played a key role in the negotiations which gave Hamilton extra bonuses, control of his image rights and a cut from any sponsors.
Additionally, reports by Sportune claim that Elkann offered to create a joint investment fund worth around €250m (£214m) to tempt Hamilton to join Ferrari. It will invest in the F1 icon’s projects like his foundation, Mission 44, and will make the deal worth circa €400m (£343m).
Why could Lewis Hamilton leave Mercedes after 2024?
A move to Ferrari anytime soon appeared to be off the table when Hamilton agreed to sign what would be his final contract with Mercedes in August 2023. The Silver Arrows tied him down in Brackley, having otherwise been out of contract at the end of the 2023 F1 season.
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But while Mercedes announced that Hamilton committed to stay at the team through 2025, his contract was only for 2024 with the option for another year. So, after Hamilton endured another winless season in 2023, he looked fondly on Ferrari’s offer to start a new adventure.
Hamilton did not endure a single winless season in his Formula 1 career from 2007 to 2021. But Mercedes dropping the ball when Formula 1 re-introduced ground effect regulations in 2022 saw the team that dominated the pinnacle of motorsport from 2014 to 2021 struggle.
When did Lewis Hamilton tell Mercedes he was leaving?
Hamilton told Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff that he was leaving them for Ferrari over breakfast on January 31, 2024. The Briton sought to keep all news of his move as hidden as possible before it broke on February 1, 2024. So, he did not tell his parents until February 1.
Why has Lewis Hamilton decided to join Ferrari in 2025?
Hamilton has noted that several reasons influenced his decision to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025. He has listed a chance to start a new chapter in his career, fulfil a childhood dream of replicating Schumacher and to reunite with Frederic Vasseur amongst the factors.
“In the summer we signed and obviously I, at that time, saw my future with Mercedes,” said Hamilton in February 2024, via F1’s official website. “But an opportunity came up in the new year and I decided to take it. It was obviously the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.
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“Obviously, I’ve been with Mercedes for like 26 years, they’ve supported me and we’ve had an absolutely incredible journey together. We’ve created history within the sport and it’s something I take a lot of pride in and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Hamilton has also described leaving Mercedes for Ferrari as the start of a new chapter with a Formula 1 team he grew up imagining driving for. Watching Schumacher dominate F1 in red captivated Hamilton as a kid. Now, he will also get to race in the Italian GP as a Ferrari driver.
“I think for every driver growing up, watching the history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I think probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up, and you see the driver in the red cockpit and you wonder what it would be like,” Hamilton added.
“You go to the Italian Grand Prix and you see the sea of red Ferrari fans and you can only stand in awe of that… Without a doubt, even as a kid, I used to play [the 1996 game] GP2 as Michael in that car. So, it definitely is a dream and I’m really, really excited about it.”
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Another important factor that influenced Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari was a chance to reunite with Vasseur. They worked together when Hamilton was in Vasseur’s ART Grand Prix team. He also won the Formula 3 Euro Series title in 2005, plus the GP2 Series title in 2006.
“I’ve got a great relationship with Fred,” Hamilton continued. “Obviously, I raced with him in Formula 3 and we had amazing success in Formula 3 and also in GP2, and that’s really where the foundation of our relationship started.
“We just always remained in touch… It was really cool to see him step into the Alfa [Romeo] team and then when he got the job at Ferrari, I was just so happy for him.
“I think the stars aligned. I think it really wouldn’t have happened without him. So, I’m really grateful and really excited about the work that he’s doing there.”
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