The Formula One’ Silly Season’ looked like it would be sedate this year when two key drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, signed long-term deals with Ferrari and McLaren, respectively. Little did anyone in the F1 world expect a bombshell that dropped on February 1 when it was announced Lewis Hamilton was set to join Ferrari in 2025. While there had been rumours about Hamilton taking a swing in the red car, it appeared the door had been shut when the seven-time world champion signed a two-year extension with Mercedes last year, taking him till the end of 2025.
At the end of 2024, Hamilton would have spent 12 years at Mercedes, a team he joined in 2013 and has had incredible success, winning six world titles. With his decision to activate a clause in a contract that allowed him to leave in 2025, the most successful driver in F1 has put his team in a bind as it scurries for a replacement.
