According to some rumors, Lewis Hamilton is considering the possibility of leaving Mercedes in 2025 to join Ferrari, potentially teaming up with Charles Leclerc.
Despite previous speculations about the British driver’s potential move to the Maranello team, Hamilton has consistently expressed his loyalty to Mercedes. In 2023, he extended his contract with the team for two more years, continuing his tenure with the team he has been with since 2013.
Will Lewis Hamilton join Scuderia Ferrari in 2025?
However, Ferrari’s chairman, John Elkann, is known to admire Hamilton, and according to Italian media, is currently negotiating a deal that could see Hamilton become Leclerc’s teammate from the 2025 season. This shift would reportedly lead to Carlos Sainz‘s departure from Ferrari.
Ferrari recently announced a long-term contract extension with Charles Leclerc, but Carlos Sainz’s future remains uncertain. Sainz’s contract is set to expire at the end of the 2024 season, and the Spanish driver has expressed hope for a two-year contract extension. Meanwhile, Sainz has been linked as a potential driver for the Audi team.
In 2023, when Lewis Hamilton signed his new contract with Mercedes, British media reported that Ferrari had made him a contract offer. However, both Hamilton and Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, have categorically denied these claims. Vasseur and Hamilton share a long-standing relationship, with Vasseur having managed Hamilton at his ART Grand Prix team in GP2.
Ferrari has recently announced a contract extension for key driver Charles Leclerc, securing his stay for “several more seasons”. In the case of Lewis Hamilton, it appears he has confirmed his stay at Mercedes for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, extending his contract. However, there are indications that what was initially thought to be a two-year deal might instead be a “one plus one” contract with exit clauses at the end of the next season.
John Elkann‘s open admiration for Lewis Hamilton is undeniable. Successfully securing a deal with Hamilton would be a significant coup for Elkann and Ferrari, enhancing the team’s overall appeal. This, in turn, would support team principal Fred Vasseur in his ongoing effort to recruit talent to strengthen the team’s technical department, which currently lacks resources.