The dream that Lewis Hamilton
once had
as a child could be about to come true almost at the end of his career.
This Thursday, the world of Formula 1 woke up in shock from the information that emerged from England and Italy about a possible departure of the British driver to Ferrari, probably in the 2025 season.
Photo: AP / Frank Augstein, File
The rumor of the signing of the year started from the Italian site
Formu1a.uno
and was later joined by media outlets from across the continent such as L'Equipe, the BBC and Gazzetta dello Sport, who confirmed that both parties are negotiating an agreement that could be announced quickly.
On the one hand, the British media confirmed Hamilton's intention for a change of scenery after some frustrating seasons at Mercedes, the team with which he won his
seventh and last title
in the top category of world motorsport in 2020.
A few hours later, the one that confirmed the information was the portal of the Italian newspaper 'Il Corriere della Sera', in which it detailed that the transfer could even take place before their relationship ends at the end of 2025, based on a clause in Hamilton's current contract.
Last August, Hamilton, 39, renewed until the end of 2025 with Mercedes, a team he joined in 2013, but he would have a clause to leave the German team at the end of the 2024 season.
Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
Contacted by the French international agency AFP, Ferrari neither confirmed nor denied the information:
"We do not comment on rumours
," responded the Italian team's press service.
"Mercedes has no comment to make
," the British driver's current team told AFP.
The rumor broke out in the last few hours and revolutionized the premier category of motorsport, especially after the recent statements in which the British driver himself claimed to be
in the midst of a debate between continuing his career in F1 or hanging up his helmet
.
The British network
Sky Sports
went further and assumed Hamilton's signing for the Scuderia, occupying the position currently occupied by the Spanish Carlos Sainz Jr, and reported that the workers at the Mercedes plant in Brackley (United Kingdom) will be informed this Thursday of the departure of the English champion, before it becomes official.
The Monegasque driver
Charles Leclerc
has just renewed his contract with Ferrari for "several seasons", but Sainz only has a contract with the Scuderia until the end of 2024.
Photo: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
Hamilton has the record for victories in Formula 1 with 103 and shares with the German Michael Schumacher the record for world titles (7, one with McLaren and six with Mercedes), but the Briton has not won any race since the end of 2021 and in the In the last two seasons he has been clearly surpassed by Red Bull and the Dutchman Max Verstappen.
Ferrari, meanwhile, is the team that has won the most constructors' titles with 16, the last in 2008.