Lewis Hamilton bids farewell to Mercedes, enters Ferrari era

Lewis Hamilton says goodbye to his long journey with Mercedes and prepares to embark on a new era with Ferrari. When will we see Sir Lewis behind the wheel of the red car?

A record-breaking resume The British driver concluded his time with the Silver Arrows with a fourth-place finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the 2024 World Championship. The 38-year-old from Stevenage leaves Mercedes after 12 seasons, 6 world titles (including one with McLaren in 2008), and 84 race victories. “You drove like a world champion,” said team principal Toto Wolff paying tribute to Hamilton in their final radio communication after the race. Mercedes sent a special message to Ferrari on Twitter: “Take care of him.”

Hamilton joins the Prancing Horse to chase his seventh world title and to bring the World Championship back to Maranello, a feat that has been missing since Kimi Raikkonen’s triumph in 2007. When will Sir Lewis make his debut with Ferrari in red? Abu Dhabi will host a testing session on Tuesday, December 10, but Hamilton will not be present.

Upcoming engagements The contract with Ferrari will effectively begin in 2025, and until the end of 2024, the driver remains bound to Mercedes. Next week, Hamilton is likely to fly to Malaysia for an event with Petronas, the main sponsor of Mercedes, and he is expected to also visit Stuttgart, the headquarters of the German automaker, before touring the team’s British facilities in Brixworth and Brackley. The first laps in the Ferrari, therefore, are postponed to the following year.

Tests in Bahrain are scheduled from February 26 to 28. However, it is not ruled out that before the official appointment, Hamilton may drive an old Ferrari at the Fiorano circuit for an initial contact with the Prancing Horse.