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Ferrari could be set to make a huge signing announcement that could reshape the landscape of Formula 1 for years to come.

The Italian team have already made a major signing in 2024, as they announced that Lewis Hamilton would be joining Charles Leclerc as their driver lineup for 2025 onwards, with Carlos Sainz being released.

Canadian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton backs Max Verstappen will pass race  wins record

Hamilton and Leclerc joining forces will be one of the strongest lineups in the history of the sport, but team principal Fred Vasseur could be set to make an even bigger signing in the coming days/weeks.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Vasseur has met with departing Red Bull chief engineer Adrian Newey ahead of move to Ferrari.

The report reads: “Fred Vasseur has met with Adrian Newey in London and it is likely that Newey will be joining Scuderia Ferrari. An official announcement is imminent. He may start working for the team as soon as 2025 in preparations for the 2026 regulations.”

Hamilton: Verstappen can break my wins record but 'I'm working on slowing  him' · RaceFans

Newey is arguably the most influential man in all of F1, having designed the most dominant car in F1 history last year for Red Bull, and his 2024 car appears to be just as far ahead as last season.

With new regulations set for 2026, Newey’s departure is a disaster for Red Bull as they will have to significantly change their car design without the genius of the legendary designer.

This could also push Max Verstappen out of the team, with Mercedes set to offer the world champion a ‘world record contract’ to replace Hamilton.

Red Bull announced Newey would be leaving the team on Wednesday morning following growing speculation the 65-year-old would be joining Ferrari.

Adrian Newey- Getty

The team released the following statement: “The Team announces that Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey will leave the Red Bull Technology Group in the first quarter of 2025.

“The engineering supremo will step back from Formula 1 design duties to focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull’s first hypercar, the hugely anticipated RB17.

“He will remain involved in and committed to this exciting project until its completion. We’d like to thank Adrian for our achievements in the time that we have worked together so far. He has been instrumental for us in achieving a remarkable seven Formula One Drivers’ and six Constructors’ Championship titles – totaling 118 victories and 101 poles including the STR 2007 pole and victory,” They concluded.

Newey also is expected to have interest from the likes of Aston Martin and McLaren, but Ferrari remain the firm favourites to land the Brit’s signature.

Lewis Hamilton has spoken out again on Israel’s continued attacks on Palestine, which have been ongoing for more than six months.

The British driver had previously admitted that he found it ‘really hard’ to process the number of children dying as a result of the continued military action.

UNICEF have said that over 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the start of Israel’s military offensive last year, and a UN agency claimed last month that one in three children under the age of two in northern Gaza is ‘acutely malnourished’.

Speaking at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier in the season, Hamilton said: “It is really hard and difficult to wake up each day knowing that there are thousands of kids dying, and that there is nothing that you can do about it.”

Hamilton: This has to end
Reposting a UNICEF Instagram post to his own story on the same platform, Hamilton added: “This has to end.”

The Mercedes star has previously admitted the impact of images from Gaza posted on social media, saying: “The rest of the world just goes on as it is, and it is massively disappointing to see how countries and governments are handling it, and to think where we are in 2023, with everything through history, it doesn’t look like we’ve learnt anything.

“So, to be able to compartmentalize that and just go ahead with doing your job, I think that is difficult, I mean it is all over social media. There is not a moment, a day that you don’t see something pop up on the news, and you are just trying to remain positive through the darkest time.”

Fernando Alonso rocked the Formula One driver market on Thursday by signing a new contract with Aston Martin. The veteran had been considered a strong contender for a seat at either Red Bull or Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton departing the Silver Arrows to join Ferrari in 2025.

Max Verstappen Profile - Bio, News, High-Res Photos & High Quality Videos

Alonso had reportedly been on a three-man shortlist drawn up by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. There were also suggestions that the Spaniard could replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

Max Verstappen’s future remains unclear, despite a loose insistence that the Dutchman remains committed to Red Bull for the remainder of his contract until 2028. Wolff has been openly flirting with the idea of making a shock move for the three-time world champion from rivals Red Bull.

Vettel decision timeline revealed after F1 return rumors

Sebastian Vettel is set to decide in the coming ‘days and weeks’ about a potential return to F1, according to reports.

It’s just two years since Vettel called it a day and retired from F1, but the German has been linked with a sensational return.

Vettel is believed to be a possible candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, after the German constructor missed out on Fernando Alonso, who is signing a contract extension at Aston Martin.

The four-time world champion has also been rumored to be of interest to Porsche’s World Endurance team as well, and their head of operations has teased his decision could be imminent.

Speaking to Motorsport-Total.com: “We have read in the media that he is in talks with several people. But we only know that he has not yet decided what he will do.

“We also do not know if he will run again, where and when. That will be known in the coming days or weeks.

“So we also don’t know if he will race with us in the future.”

Drivers closest to race ban for points penalty
Twelve points and you’re out. That’s the rule put in place by the FIA, with a one-race ban handed out to any drivers who reach that threshold.

But which F1 racers are closest to the 12-point cutoff?

Sergio Perez, Red Bull – 8 points

Logan Sargeant, Williams – 6 points

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin – 5 points

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes – 4 points

George Russell, Mercedes – 4 points

F1 winner questions Lewis Hamilton 'transparency' claims - GPFans.com

Former F1 ace warns against growing street circuit expansion
Former F1 champion Mario Andretti has voiced his concern about the growing number of street circuits on the calendar.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Andretti said: “I think we have to be very careful to keep the traditional circuits that have made Formula One what it is today, and not ever forget that. Many of these traditional circuits like Silverstone have upgraded to the standards that you expect.

“And again, I’m one of those individuals that value so much where we came from and let’s not ever forget that.

“It’s fine to go forward and bring on new things, but never forget where we came from. So in my opinion, nothing will substitute Silverstone at the moment in England. ”

Full 2025 schedule confirmed by FIA
Elsewhere in the 2025 schedule, it’s a return to Australia for the opening race of the season, while the USA maintains its three-race status.

The British GP remains in its usual mid-summer spot, while the season concludes in the UAE on December 7th.

Lewis Hamilton’s dream already slashed for first season in Ferrari car
Lewis Hamilton’s first season as a Ferrari driver won’t include a dream visit to Africa for the 2025 F1 season.

The continent has once again been snubbed on the calendar – something Hamilton has previously been outspoken about.

Speaking last year, the seven-time world champion said: “There’s one more race we need and that’s going to be Africa. We have all the other continents and why not there? So that’s the one I’m working on pushing right now.”

Ferrari making new ‘push’ for Adrian Newey
Ferrari are reportedly ‘pushing’ once more to take highly-rated engineer Adrian Newey from Red Bull.

Auto Motor und Sport report that Ferrari are making a fourth attempt to sign Newey, who has previously admitted to turning down the job on several occasions.

The Italian team want Newey, the mastermind behind Red Bull’s successful cars, to work alongside Lewis Hamilton from the 2025 season.

Who could benefit from Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin contract?
Fernando Alonso’s new Aston Martin contract surprised many F1 onlookers.

The Spaniard had been linked with Red Bull and Mercedes but decided to pen a multi-year extension with his current team.

That decision is likely to have a ripple effect throughout the grid.

Express Sport’s Fraser Watson took a look at five drivers who may benefit from the deal.

Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz

Fernando Alonso’s ‘enduring talent’ highlighted
Martin Brundle has hailed Fernando Alonso’s ‘enduring talent’ after the Spaniard penned a new Aston Martin contract.

Alonso, who is 42, has signed a multi-year extension to quash rumours of a move to Mercedes or Red Bull.

Brundle tweeted: “That man has incredible motivation and staying power. And enduring talent. Exceptional, in any sport, in any era.”

Mercedes ‘finalise’ Max Verstappen contract
Mercedes have reportedly finalised Max Verstappen’s salary and bonuses in the event that the Dutchman agrees to join from Red Bull.

Toto Wolff has publicly admitted that the Silver Arrows would like to sign Verstappen, who has been linked with an exit from Red Bull amid a power struggle behind the scenes.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Mercedes chiefs have already planned the terms of the contract that they will offer to Verstappen if the 26-year-old agrees to enter surprise talks.

Wolff lost Fernando Alonso from a reported three-man shortlist to replace Lewis Hamilton on Thursday. Alonso has agreed to remain with Aston Martin.

Max Verstappen

Frederic Vasseur has been warned that he may live to regret bringing Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari.

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has been warned that he may have jumped the gun by ditching Carlos Sainz in favor of Lewis Hamilton. The Brit will partner Charles Leclerc from next season onwards, leaving Sainz without a drive for 2025 despite being one of the best performers on the grid this year.

Sainz has finished on the podium in every race he has competed in this season, claiming third place in Bahrain before winning the Australian Grand Prix. His victory came just two weeks after he was forced to sit out of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he was replaced by Oliver Bearman after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix.

Hamilton, meanwhile, is enduring his worst start to a season in recent memory having finished no higher than seventh after the opening three races. Former F1 driver Christian Danner has warned that Sainz’s impressive form is ‘messing everything up’ at Ferrari, who he believes might live to regret their decision to replace him with Hamilton.

Hamilton has endured his worst start to an F1 season in 2024
Hamilton has endured his worst start to an F1 season in 2024

“If you want Hamilton, you’ve kept the wrong one because he [Sainz] is faster, but that’s highly political,” Danner told MotorsportMagazin. “He [Vasseur] should have waited a little longer. It wasn’t a necessity. I wouldn’t blame Lewis for stumbling at the moment, but one thing is clear.

“Sainz in this kind of form, when he has Leclerc under control like this, you can say that he [Vasseur] perhaps made his decision too early. Sainz is approaching it with a commitment, a joy and an aggressiveness. I really like that. It also requires a fervent attitude: ‘Now it’s me and no one else’.

“You can see it not only in his eyes, but in every corner and at the moment, Carlos Sainz is messing everything up at Ferrari. First of all, you’ve signed the wrong driver for next year. Hamilton is behind, he’s [Sainz] much better.”

Sainz will be replaced by Hamilton next year no matter what he does this season
Sainz will be replaced by Hamilton next year no matter what he does this season

Sainz is likely to attract plenty of interest from other teams ahead of next season thanks to his impressive start to the current campaign. He has already been linked with a move to Stake, who will become the Audi works team in 2026, but it has also been speculated that he could join Red Bull if Sergio Perez is relieved of his duties.

Christian Horner refused to rule out the possibility of moving for Sainz after his impressive victory in Australia, saying: “We want to field the best pairing we can with Red Bull Racing so sometimes you have got to look outside the pool as well.

“The market is reasonably fluid in certain parts. I mean, based on a performance like that, you couldn’t rule any possibility out so I think we just want to take the time.”

Lewis Hamilton looking for partner on celebrity dating app Raya

Lewis Hamilton has become the latest celebrity to sign up to exclusive dating app Raya in a bid to find a partner, according to British media outlet The Sun.

The 39-year-old Formula 1 driver has a profile on the app, which matches influencers and is a favorite among celebrities

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The Brit, who reportedly had relationships with Shakira and Nicole Scherzinger, was previously on the same app in 2015, with a source even telling the website: ‘Lewis has been swiping a lot of socialites in London and uses it when he travels.

“He’s happy to be single, but eventually he’d like to find The One,” the Daily Mail claimed.

Hamilton has expertly curated his profile

Hamilton went through his profile with meticulous attention. The anthem he chose, “Search & Rescue” by Drake, and the designation of his occupation as “travelling” offer an insight into his diverse interests and activities beyond careers.

It is worth remembering that Raya is a dating app in which isn’t for everyone and which examines the profile of each candidate through a committee of experts, who are the ones who decide who is or is not suitable to be part of this elite community. The waiting list to join this application is thousands of people and not even 10 percent of those who apply get in.

Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were all forced to retire from the Australian Grand Prix during an eventful race on the streets of Melbourne. Carlos Sainz took the chequered flag in Melbourne to complete a Ferrari one-two, with Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris joining the Spaniard on the podium.

Verstappen started on pole but was forced to call it a day after just five laps with smoke billowing from the back of his Red Bull car. He was then involved in a frosty exchange with an engineer as he tried to come to terms with the unfortunate manner of his retirement.

Hamilton went on to suffer a mechanical problem of his own, with the Brit grinding to a halt at the edge of the circuit due to an engine failure. Just moments before the end of the race, Russell crashed out after losing the rear end while chasing Fernando Alonso in the battle for sixth place.

Leclerc confident
Charles Leclerc is confident that Ferrari are moving in the right direction and slowly closing the gap to Red Bull.

He said: “It’s been a long time since we have had the genuine pace to have Red Bull… I wouldn’t say under control, because we don’t know what was the real pace of Max today, but I will say that from FP1, we knew that pole position and the race win was possible because we had very good tyre degradation, very good pace, and that is a very encouraging sign.

“However, if you look at the first three races, two out of the first three races they had the upper hand in the race. So we still have a lot of work to do. But that’s exactly what we need to do as a team.”

Russell’s full radio message after crash
George Russell’s radio message following his crash this morning has been revealed.

“Red flag, red flag, I’m in the middle of the track, red flag, red flag. Red, red, red, red, red,” Russell shouted on team radio

“I’m in the middle. Red. F***. Why so long?”

Wolff wants to punch himself
Toto Wolff claimed he wanted to give himself a knock after Mercedes scored no points in Melbourne.

He said: “On one side, I want to punch myself on the nose. On the other side, it’s a testimony that when you get things right, you can turn it around pretty quickly and continue to believe.

“At the moment, it’s a very tough time.”

Horner could sign Sainz
Christian Horner has refuse to rule out signing Carlos Sainz for Red Bull next season after the Ferrari star won the Australian GP.

“We want to field the best pairing we can with Red Bull Racing so, sometimes, you got to look outside the pool as well,” Horner said.

“The market is reasonably fluid in certain parts. I mean, based on a performance like that, you couldn’t rule any possibility out.

“So I think, we just want to take the time and, obviously, Checo [Perez] was compromised today and has had a great start to the season too so we’re not in any desperate rush.”

Toto Wolff responds to questions on Mercedes future
Toto Wolff says it is ‘fair’ to question his future as Mercedes team principal after yet another disappointing weekend for the Silver Arrows in Australia.

Asked if he is still the right man to lead the team forward, Wolff said: “I need to make sure that my contribution is positive.

“I would be the first one to say: ‘If somebody has a better idea, tell me’. I’m interested [in] turning this team around as quickly as possible and I’ll happily give my input on what that would be, or who that could be.

“I look at myself in the mirror every single day about everything I do. If I believe that I should ask the manager question or the trainer question, I think it’s a fair question.

“It’s not what I feel at the moment that I should do. But if you have any ideas about who could turn this around, I would happily listen to them.”

Fernando Alonso hits out after FIA penalty
Fernando Alonso has hit out at suggestions that he drove dangerously while defending against George Russell on the last lap of today’s race in Melbourne.

The Spaniard was later handed a 20-second penalty by the FIA, which saw him slip to eighth in the finishing order, as well as three penalty points.

“I wanted to maximize my exit speed from Turn Six to defend against him,” said Alonso when quizzed on what happened.

“That’s what any racing driver would do, and I didn’t feel it was dangerous. It’s disappointing to get a penalty from the stewards for what was hard but fair racing.

“Still, I’m glad that George is okay. It was not nice to see his car in the middle of the track.”

George Russell speaks out after Fernando Alonso penalty
George Russell has admitted that it was ‘such a shame’ to crash out of the Australian Grand Prix on the final lap in an incident for which Fernando Alonso has since been punished.

Russell said on X, formerly Twitter: “Such a shame to end the race like that. Totally caught out by the car ahead whilst entering the corner, I lost the car and some points for the team.

“Ultimately, we were not fast enough this weekend and we’ll come back stronger.”

Lewis Hamilton digs out Mercedes engineers
Lewis Hamilton has aimed a thinly-veiled dig at Mercedes by suggesting that nothing has changed since last year in a scathing review of their Australian Grand Prix disaster.

Quizzed on the current gulf in class between Mercedes and Red Bull following his battle with Sergio Perez, Hamilton said: “It’s a massive gap. I think they have a second on us, something like that.

“He was on fresh tires but just the way he pulled away down the straight, I was like: ‘Wow’. Same as last year.”

Lewis Hamilton has aimed a thinly-veiled dig at his Mercedes engineers
Lewis Hamilton has aimed a thinly-veiled dig at his Mercedes engineers

One Mercedes employee could be about to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps towards Maranello.

A key Mercedes staff member is reportedly in talks to follow Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari from the beginning of the 2025 season.

Hamilton shocked the F1 world by signing a multi-year contract with the Scuderia in January, in a move which will see him team up with Charles Leclerc at the Italian team from 2025.

He agreed a new two-year contract with Mercedes last year, but it was revealed that the second year was only an optional extension that the seven-time world champion could choose not to exercise.

Mercedes are thus far yet to announce Hamilton’s replacement, with Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz among those linked with taking the soon-to-be vacant role.

PlanetF1 reported that Hamilton’s Ferrari contract contains a ‘no-poaching clause’, which means the Englishman cannot directly approach members of his own team to join him at the Scuderia.

While the Silver Arrows have not confirmed this publicly, a source told PlanetF1 that the existence of the clause was ‘accurate’.

However, such a clause doesn’t entirely stop a Mercedes team member moving across to Maranello – and it is claimed that one significant figure is close to completing a move in that direction.

According to Motorsport.nextgen-auto.com, sources claim that Mercedes driver development director Jerome d’Ambrosio has been in talks with the Scuderia over potentially joining the team in 2025.

It is also claimed that ‘terms have been agreed’ on a deal that would see d’Ambrosio join the team after completing a period of gardening leave.

D’Ambrosio is a former F1 driver, having raced for the Marussia Virgin Racing team in the 2011 season. He also deputised for Romain Grosjean at the 2012 Italian Grand Prix after the Frenchman received a one-race ban.

After retiring, the Belgian became team principal of Formula E team Venturi Racing before taking up his post at Mercedes.

Last season, D’Ambrosio filled the duties of regular team principal Toto Wolff at two Grands Prix after the Austrian was forced to undergo knee surgery.

George Russell has openly questioned Lewis Hamilton’s claims over his chosen set-up at the Bahrain Grand Prix, claiming the two Mercedes cars were actually “pretty similar.”

Lewis Hamilton speaks to the media at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix with a prominent Mercedes badge alongside him

Having announced last month that he will join Ferrari for 2025, Hamilton’s final season as a Mercedes driver got off to a muted start at the 2024 season opener in Bahrain.

George Russell doubts Lewis Hamilton setup claims

While Russell claimed third on the grid with a lap just three tenths short of Max Verstappen’s time for pole position, Hamilton could only manage ninth on the grid, more than two tenths slower than his Mercedes team-mate.

Russell and Hamilton went on to come home fifth and seventh respectively on race day, with Mercedes forced to manage overhearing issues having elected for an unsuitable cooling configuration with temperatures in Sakhir higher than anticipated on race day.

 

George Russell is '100 per cent a world champion in the making' as he looks  to achieve the rare feat of beating Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in the  Formula 1 drivers' championship

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher after qualifying, Hamilton indicated that he and Russell had taken different set-up directions with the seven-time World Champion’s chosen path better suited to race conditions.

“[On Thursday] during my work, we were doing identical car setups, and I was feeling great,” Hamilton said.

“We veered off – he went one way, and I went the other. You could say that the one I was on is not good on a single lap, but I hope it’s good in the race.

“I wasn’t comfortable with my race pace [in practice].

“So I changed the car to hopefully make the race pace better but we’ll see if that’s really the case.”

Lewis Hamilton admits Mercedes 'got it wrong' with new car as Toto Wolff  details F1 2022 dilemma | F1 News | Sky Sports

Put to him after the race that his team-mate chose a different setup, however, Russell argued that the Mercedes cars were in a similar ballpark with set-up – with his own better suit to race conditions.

He told media including PlanetF1.com: “Many people have said this.

“I don’t really know the big differences, to be honest, because as far as I’m aware with the cars we’re pretty similar.

“I don’t really focus too much on his set-up. Mine was actually more set up for the race than the set-up he ran. At least it was on Friday [for qualifying].”

F1: Lewis Hamilton full of confidence after Spanish Grand Prix comeback |  The Independent

Russell stands as the last driver to win a race for Mercedes, having claimed his maiden F1 victory at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

Hamilton, meanwhile, remains without a win since the penultimate round of the 2021 season in Saudi Arabia, with the Jeddah circuit set to host the second race of the 2024 campaign this Saturday.

The seven-time world champion admits he has never been to Maranello, nor has he spoken Italian since his youth

Sir Lewis Hamilton spoke for the first time today about his planned move to Ferrari in 2025, and, more importantly, his change of heart after renewing his two-year deal with Mercedes just a few months ago.

Lewis Hamilton

“In the summer we signed and obviously I, at the time, saw my future with Mercedes. But an opportunity came up in the new year and I decided to take it,” he told the press in Bahrain.

“It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make in my life after 26 years of Mercedes supporting me and we’ve had this absolutely incredible journey together. We’ve made history and it’s something I’m very proud of.

“But I think ultimately I’m writing my story and I felt it was time to start a new chapter.”

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What does Hamilton hope to achieve with Ferrari?
Although Fernando Alonso wryly underlined his surprise at Lewis’ change of allegiance from Mercedes ambassador to ‘Ferrarista’, Hamilton has been a fan of the Italian team since he was a boy.

“Of course, I think for all drivers growing up, looking at history, they see Michael Schumacher at his best…. Definitely, even as a kid, I used to play Michael in that car, so it’s definitely a dream and I’m very, very excited about it,” he continued.

“I think we probably all sit in our garage and see the screen come up and you see the driver in the red cockpit and you wonder what it would be like to be surrounded by red.

“You go to the Italian Grand Prix and you see the tifosi and it just blows you away.”

Lewis knows he is coming to try and break the 17-year championship drought that has plagued Maranello, but he is ready for the challenge.

“It’s a team that hasn’t had much success recently, since 2007, and I saw it as a big challenge. I’ve had a great relationship and communication with Fred Vasseur since we raced together in F3 and GP2, and I think this really wouldn’t have happened without him, so I’m very grateful and very excited about the work he’s doing there,” Hamilton concluded.

“When he joined Ferrari, I was happy for him and I think the stars aligned.”

Lewis Hamilton has posted on social media for the first time since his shock move to Ferrari from Mercedes was confirmed.

The 39-year-old is set to make a “leap of faith” and leave Mercedes after 11 years to begin what he called a “childhood dream” by racing for Ferrari.

RED BULL RING, AUSTRIA - JULY 02: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 F1 W14 prior to the F1 Grand Prix of

Two days after his announcement was confirmed, Hamilton took to his Twitter account to post a heartfelt message to Mercedes as well as describe his rationale behind departing.

Lewis Hamilton fulfils ‘childhood dream’ as Mercedes departure reasons given
Hamilton had not spoken since a statement given via Mercedes on Thursday but has now posted a longer message onto his personal Twitter account.

The seven-time World Champion described joining Ferrari as his dream and said he wanted to “start a new chapter in my life.”

“It’s been a crazy few days which have been filled with a whole range of emotions,” he said.

“But as you all now know, after an incredible 11 years at Mercedes, the time has come for me to start a new chapter in my life and I will be joining Ferrari in 2025.

Lewis Hamilton's first words as he explains decision to leave Mercedes team  : PlanetF1

“I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfil another childhood dream. Driving in Ferrari red.”

Hamilton went on to thank Mercedes, in particular Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda, as they became the most successful driver-team partnership in F1 history.

“Mercedes has been a huge part of my life since I was 13 years old, so this decision has been the hardest I’ve ever had to make,” Hamilton, who has driven with Mercedes engines all his career, said.

“I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve achieved together and I’m very grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone I have worked with over the years and of course Toto, for his friendship, guidance and leadership. Together we have won titles, broken records and become the most successful driver-team partnership in F1 history. And of course I cannot forget Niki who was a huge supporter and who I still miss everyday.

“I must also share my huge appreciation to the whole of the Mercedes-Benz board and everyone at the company in Germany and around the world for supporting me over these 26 years.

“But the time is right to make a change and take on a new challenge. I still remember the feeling of taking a leap of faith into the unknown when I first joined Mercedes in 2013. I know some people didn’t understand it at the time but I was right to make the move then and it’s the feeling I have again now. I’m excited to see what I can bring to this new opportunity and what we can do together.

Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes after 'amazing 11 years' and move to  Ferrari | UK News | Sky News

“However, right now, I’m not thinking about 2025. My focus is on the upcoming season and getting back out on track with Mercedes.

“I am more driven than ever, I am fitter and more focussed than than ever and I want to help Mercedes win once again. I am 100% committed to the job I need to do and determined to end my partnership with the team on a high.

“Thank you to all of you who have been on this journey with me, you have all lifted me up as I chase my dreams and I hope I can continue to make you proud. As always, sending you my love and positive energy.”