Carlos Sainz has now broken his silence after Ferrari confirmed that Lewis Hamilton is to leave Mercedes and join the Formula 1 team following the end of the 2024 season.
The Scuderia quickly followed an announcement by the Silver Arrows that Hamilton will race beside Charles Leclerc starting in 2025. Hamilton has chosen to activate the escape clause in the contract he only agreed to in Brackley last August to leave the F1 team after 11 years.
Hamilton joined Mercedes from McLaren in 2013 after starting his Formula 1 career in cars powered by the German brand’s engines. Now, 2025 will mark the first season in which the seven-time drivers’ champion has driven F1 cars with power units not created by Mercedes.
Ferrari announce Lewis Hamilton will join from Mercedes in 2025
Hamilton agreed to stay with Mercedes until the end of 2025 last August, having otherwise been out of contract after the 2023 campaign. But the Briton has now made the decision to leave Brackley after 2024 and join Leclerc, who Ferrari just signed to a new multi-year deal.
Ferrari were also in talks with Sainz about a new contract, with the Spaniard’s deal expiring after the 2024 season. But Ferrari president John Elkann relished the chance to pair Leclerc with Hamilton. Elkann led Ferrari’s chase of Hamilton after hearing about his release clause.
Carlos Sainz breaks his silence as Ferrari confirm the Spaniard’s exit
Ferrari confirming that Hamilton has agreed to join the Maranello natives from 2025 leaves Sainz without a drive in Formula 1. But the Spaniard has broken his silence with a typically classy statement. The 29-year-old is devoted to delivering for Ferrari and the Tifosi in 2024.
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“Following today’s news, Scuderia Ferrari and myself will part ways at the end of 2024,” said Sainz in a statement posted on X. “I will give my absolute best for the team and for the Tifosi all around the world. News about my future will be announced in due course.”
Sainz joined Ferrari from McLaren in 2021 to partner Leclerc and claimed his first Grand Prix victory at the 2022 British GP. He was also the only non-Red Bull race-winner in 2023. Sainz fended off Mercedes’ George Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris at the 2023 Singapore GP.
But Elkann has found the chance to pair Leclerc with Hamilton at Ferrari from 2025 too good to turn down. The deal takes the most successful F1 driver of all time to Maranello and gives Hamilton the chance to move clear of Michael Schumacher’s seven titles with the Scuderia.
Schumacher won five of his F1 titles with Ferrari, while Hamilton has won six of his seven for Mercedes. The Briton won his first title with McLaren in 2008 and has since gone on to win a total of 103 Grand Prix, seal 104 pole positions and stand on the podium a record 197 times.
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