Opinion
Formula 1 record world champion Lewis Hamilton is moving to Ferrari in 2025. This is a dream come true for both sides – but whether it will ultimately be more than just a circus act remains to be seen.
They also went crazy on the stock market. The spectacular signing of record world champion Lewis Hamilton has driven Ferrari’s share price to a record high. Postings on the topic on social media worldwide reached astronomical numbers and the international media outdid each other with superlatives. In short: The Brit’s move to the Italian racing team from the 2025 season is, beyond Formula 1, one of the biggest sporting coups of all time. That can be said without exaggeration.
The question remains as to why. Has Hamilton lost faith that Mercedes can give him a winning car with which he can win his eighth world title? Or is it pure romance? Every racing driver in the world dreams of Ferrari, the greatest myth in racing. Or is it all the money that the Italians will pay the British? He is rumored to be worth 80 million euros per annum.
Mercedes is caught off guard
The fact is that the change comes as a surprise. Not even Mercedes and its team boss Toto Wolff were prepared for Hamilton to dare to leave after eleven years and six world championship titles together. It was only in August of last year that Hamilton extended his contract with Mercedes by two years. As it now turns out, he had apparently had an exit clause anchored in the paper, which he was now making use of.
For Mercedes, the news is initially a setback. The team is in a sporting crisis and has lost touch with Red Bull, which has dominated Formula 1 with super driver Max Verstappen for three years. The last victory so far came in 2022 for the second driver, George Russell. Hamilton’s last victory in the Silver Arrow was in December 2021. The team has been struggling with problems since then. There is a lot to be said for the fact that Hamilton no longer believed that Mercedes could make a comeback. How the 2024 season goes remains to be seen.
Lewis Hamilton wants to write the perfect story
Hamilton’s motivation for the change is probably quite banal: the superstar wants to take the last chance to get into a Ferrari cockpit in the autumn of his career. He will be 40 years old when he takes to the slopes for the Italians for the first time. For him it means the opportunity to write one of the most powerful stories in Formula 1: according to the mystr.c1514036236dd90216ae532183655d55.css” fetchpriority=”high”>
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
