Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes-Benz reach the finish line, with the seven-time Formula 1 champion and the German car manufacturer announcing that next season will be their last. The British driver will join Ferrari next year.
Hamilton signed a two-year contract with Mercedes this summer but activated a buyout option on the contract, making this season his last trip for the Silver Arrows, according to a report from Mercedes-AMG Petronas.
Scuderia Ferrari showed off the development and announced on Thursday that Hamilton would join the team in 2025 on a multi-year contract.
“This news ends a 17-year F1 relationship with Mercedes-Benz and an 11-year partnership with the factory team,” Mercedes said in the statement.
Hamilton signed with Mercedes in 2013, winning half a dozen of his seven world titles with the team by 2020.
“Mercedes has been a component of my life since I was thirteen years old. It’s a position I grew up in, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest resolutions I’ve ever had to make,” said Hamilton, 39. “I am 100 percent committed to delivering the most productive functionality imaginable this season and making my final year with the Silver Arrows unforgettable. “
Hamilton, the only black driver to have raced in F1, has spoken out unabashedly about the growing diversity in the sport.
Quotes were delayed by at least 15 minutes.
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