Lewis Hamilton says he was ready for a new chapter in his career but believes achieving success at Ferrari is going to be “a huge challenge” as he looks to follow in Michael Schumacher’s footsteps.
Hamilton will move to Ferrari in 2025 after activating a break clause in the Mercedes contract he had signed six months ago, meaning he will leave the team he’s driven for since 2013. The seven-time world champion says he was committed when he signed his latest Mercedes deal but the allure of trying to bring success to Ferrari in the way Schumacher did was too strong.
“Obviously in summer we signed and at that time I saw my future with Mercedes, but an opportunity came up in the new year and I decided to take it,” Hamilton said. “It was obviously the hardest decision I have ever had to make. I’ve been with Mercedes for, I think, 26 years they have supported me, and we have had an absolutely incredible journey together.
“We have created history together in the sport and it’s something I take a lot of pride in and I’m very proud of what we have achieved. I think ultimately I’m writing my story and I felt like it was just time to start a new chapter.
“I think for every driver, growing up, watching the history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I think probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up, and you see the driver in the red cockpit, and you wonder what it might be like to be surrounded by the red. You go to the Italian Grand Prix, and you see the sea of red of Ferrari fans, and you can only stand in awe of that.
“It’s a team that’s not had huge success, really since… mostly obviously from Michael’s days, but obviously since 2007, and I saw it as a huge challenge. Without a doubt, even as a kid, I used to play on GP2 as Michael in that car. So it definitely is a dream, and I’m really, really excited about it.”
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One of the main reasons the move happened is Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur who ran Hamilton with his ART team in his junior career, with Hamilton admitting he was central to finalizing the deal.
“I’ve got a great relationship with Fred,” he said. “Obviously I raced for him in Formula 3 and we had amazing success in Formula 3 and also in GP2, and that’s really where the foundation for our relationship started.
“We just always remained in touch, and I thought that he was going to be an amazing team manager at some stage and progress to Formula 1, but at the time he wasn’t interested in that.
“It was pretty cool to see him step into the Alfa team and then when he got the job at Ferrari I was so happy for him. I think just the stars aligned — it really wouldn’t have happened without him and I’m just really grateful and really excited about the work he’s doing there.”
Hamilton’s move was slightly unusual in the sense that it has been announced with a full season at Mercedes still to run, and the 39-year-old says he won’t be distracted from trying to end this part of his career on a high.
“This chapter’s still not finished. I am still 100% focused on delivering for this team this year and trying to finish on a high. That’s a big, big goal for me and the team. I have absolute faith in everyone in the team and what we’ve done so far I think is great, so I really hope that we are somehow able to close the gap to the Red Bulls.”