Demetra Polito '24
As of 2025, Lewis Hamilton will be joining the pole position as Scuderia Ferrari’s second driver, alongside driver Charles Leclerc. However, Leclerc is the top face for Ferrari as he topped the timesheets on the third and final day of F1 pre-season for the Bahrain Grand Prix Circuit.
Hamilton will be moving on a multi-year contract, a move he called “one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.” Hamilton has said his desire to drive for Ferrari dates back to his childhood when he played Formula 1 video games as Michael Schumacher.
He has been with Mercedes since 2013 and before that was backed by Mercedes as McLaren’s engine supplier since he was 13. The success he enjoyed with them between 2014 and 2020 was unprecedented and ensured he equaled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven championships.
Hamilton acknowledged he had enjoyed a remarkable relationship with Mercedes but that he felt it was time to move on. “I've been with Mercedes for, I think, like, 26 years; they have supported me, and we have had an absolutely incredible journey together. We have created history together in the sport, and it's something I take a lot of pride in and I'm very proud of what we have achieved. I think ultimately I'm writing my story and I felt like it was just time to start a new chapter,” he said.
Ferrari has improved with Leclerc in particular far happier with the car than he was at this point last year. McLaren too looks to have carried the pace with which they ended 2023 into the new season, while Mercedes has established a strong benchmark with their new design from which there is optimism they too may move closer to Red Bull.
Hamilton nonetheless insisted he would see out his time with Mercedes by giving his all. “This chapter is still not finished and I am still 100% focused on delivering for this team, trying to finish on a high, and that is a big, big goal for me,” he said. “I have absolute faith in everyone in the team in what we have done so far and I hope we are somehow able to close the gap to the Red Bulls.”