As of: February 4, 2024, 2:55 p.m
By: Lena Hempler
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A change that no one had expected: Hamilton will drive for Ferrari from 2025, and there is now some speculation as to why the Brit wants to leave Mercedes early.
Maranello - The Formula 1 world is still upside down: Lewis Hamilton is ending his contract with Mercedes early and will move to Ferrari in 2025.
There he will drive alongside Charles Leclerc and possibly for several years!
This move is not called one of the greatest sporting coups of all time for nothing.
Not only fans were completely surprised, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also didn't expect it.
Lewis Hamilton |
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|---|---|
Born: |
January 7, 1985 in Stevenage, United Kingdom |
Current team: |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport |
biggest success: |
Seven world championship titles in Formula 1 |
Miscellaneous: |
He has been co-owner of the Denver Broncos NFL team since 2022 |
Formula 1: What Ferrari promised Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari boss John Elkann has never made it a secret that he has actually wanted Hamilton as a driver in his team for a long time.
And for him the change is already worth it: When it was announced that the Briton would be in the Ferrari cockpit from 2025, the car manufacturer's shares rose to a new all-time high - fortunately, after all, Hamilton costs a lot.
What exactly is in the contract is of course secret, but there is already a lot of speculation online - Hamilton will receive 99 million euros for the 2025 season, making him officially the most expensive driver on the grid.
A quarter of this will go to Hamilton's Mission 44 company.
In 2021, he founded the foundation to support children from underserved communities.
Bonuses, sponsorship money and image rights should also be included in this proud salary.
Lewis Hamilton will drive for Ferrari from 2025, John Elkann has pulled out all the stops to achieve this.
© DPPI/Panoramic
Hamilton receives an outrageously high salary from Ferrari – and can look forward to additional promises
However, according to media reports, Elkann promised Hamilton even more.
There is said to be a joint investment fund at Exor with around 250 million euros.
The resulting money will then flow into Hamilton's charitable projects.
Elkann is also more than interested in using the Brit as a brand ambassador for Ferrari if he gives up his racing career.
And that is exactly what was said to have been the sticking point at Mercedes.
The board there is said to have rejected the proposal to appoint Hamilton as a brand ambassador after his career ends until 20235.
The main issue is probably that the Briton demanded excessive amounts of money.
Ferrari has now apparently taken these sums into its own hands and signed one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers in history.
(lhe)