Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell announcement that he would be joining Ferrari for the 2025 season was one of the biggest stories of last season.
It came just a couple of months after he signed a contract extension with Mercedes, which was supposed to be a multi-year deal with the Silver Arrows through to 2025. After Mercedes failed to win a race in 2023 for the first time since 2011, Hamilton decided that he had reached the peak of what he could achieve at the team and wanted a new challenge.
Ferrari contacted Hamilton midway through 2023 just weeks after he re-signed with Mercedes, but his contract contained a break clause based on performance. Mercedes was second in the Constructors’ Championship, meaning they had failed to deliver on their promise of a title-winning car, but the seven-time world champion felt it was the right move.
The Briton has embedded himself well in Ferrari so far and appeared comfortable in the SF-25 during pre-season testing at Bahrain. Hamilton managed to beat a feat achieved by Carlos Sainz in 2024 just two days into testing, with Ferrari placed as second-best over a single lap.
Sainz did not have his contract with Ferrari renewed for 2025 and was left searching for a drive for most of last season. In the latest series of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, out on March 7th, Sainz can be heard discussing a potential move to Mercedes with Hamilton in the Bahrain pre-season press conference.
Lewis Hamilton tells Carlos Sainz Mercedes will never win again
Sainz had a number of options on the table given most teams had contracts up at the end of 2024, but there was limited availability in the top four teams.
McLaren have their drivers locked down, while Red Bull was one avenue but unlikely given Sainz’s past history with Max Verstappen. That left Mercedes, who had a vacant seat going after Hamilton’s exit.
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When Sainz quizzed Hamilton on the move, the seven-time world champion made an interesting assessment of his former team which was picked up by the Drive to Survive microphones.
Hamilton: “Have you talked to Toto?”
Sainz: “I haven’t talked to Toto yet. Which makes me feel like if he had an interest, he would’ve already called me. You don’t think Merc will win again? You think they are declining?”
Hamilton: “No, I don’t think so.”
Lewis Hamilton went on to win two more races with Mercedes
Hamilton would go on to take two more victories with Mercedes, including a record ninth at the British Grand Prix later in the season.
His other win would come after George Russell was disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix for having a car that was under weight, promoting Hamilton who finished in second place.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
Mercedes also won two other races with Russell at the Austrian and Las Vegas Grands Prix, with the latter coming late in the season when McLaren and Ferrari were both fighting for the Constructors’ title.
The team would slip back to fourth overall, appearing to vindicate Hamilton’s decision to leave the team after Ferrari finished second just 14 points behind eventual winners McLaren.
Sainz would end up finding refuge at Williams having been convinced by James Vowles, following months of negotiations with at least three teams.
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