What made Lewis Hamilton quit Mercedes for box office Ferrari switch?

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes seemed inextricably linked, but one of the great F1 dynasties is coming to an end.

Until Thursday’s bombshell that Hamilton will join Ferrari on a multi-year deal in 2025, the prospect of him ever leaving Mercedes was unthinkable.

The 39-year-old had only signed a new two-year deal with the German manufacturer last summer and whenever the subject of his F1 future cropped up, Hamilton asserted that he would remain with the team for the rest of his racing days.

As it turned out, even Hamilton’s seemingly undying loyalty to Mercedes had its breaking point, paving the way for a seismic decision and the biggest driver move in F1 history.

But why has Hamilton decided to leave Mercedes now, for a Ferrari team that have been haunted by their failure to win an F1 title for the past 16 years.

Lost faith in Mercedes

Hamilton and Mercedes’ impending split marks the end of an era in F1.

The two parties formed the most successful partnership in F1 history from 2014-2020, with Hamilton winning six of his seven world championships during that period.

It is at Mercedes where Hamilton has become statistically the greatest driver of all time, recording 82 of his 103 career race wins and 78 of his 104 pole positions.

Were it not for a narrow defeat to Nico Rosberg in 2016, or an incorrect decision from race control at the 2021 Abu Dhabi finale, Hamilton would already have the outright record for most world championships.

Since Hamilton’s infamous title heartbreak, things have taken a drastic turn at Mercedes. Back-to-back flawed car designs led to two disappointing and winless campaigns for Hamilton, leaving him in unfamiliar territory.

Hamilton’s frustrations with Mercedes’ competitive slide, and decision-making in the design office, have steadily grown and over time, Mercedes have lost Hamilton’s trust.

Mercedes have lost several key personnel to rival teams in recent years, including Loic Serra, who has moved to… you guessed it… Ferrari. According to reports, Serra’s decision to quit Mercedes for Ferrari was a fundamental factor behind Hamilton’s own call.

The obvious lure of Ferrari

Part of Hamilton’s decision was surely made due to the emotional appeal of Ferrari - a legendary brand and F1’s most famous team.

Hamilton’s decision to move to Maranello marries the sport’s most successful driver with its most successful team. It is truly a box office switch and a dream scenario for F1.

Whether they admit it or not, every driver holds aspirations of one day driving Ferrari’s iconic scarlet red cars, and it is clearly a prospect that has proved too good for the seven-time world champion to turn down. 

Hamilton will be 40 years old at the start of his first season with Ferrari, and perhaps that played a factor. He may not have had another opportunity to drive for the Scuderia.

A calculated risk

Hamilton has not joined Ferrari based on the team’s immediate prospects.

Ferrari were beaten to second place in the constructors’ championship by Mercedes last year, though both teams have been fairly evenly matched over the past two seasons.

The stats show that Ferrari have held a slight advantage over Mercedes since 2022 and the start of Red Bull’s domination. Ferrari have amassed five victories to Mercedes’ solitary win, taken 28 podiums to Mercedes’ 24, claimed 16 more poles, and outscored their rival by 36 points.

But Hamilton will also have an eye on the future, and 2026’s looming engine regulation overhaul.

Parallels can be drawn to Hamilton’s decision to join Mercedes at the end of 2012 - ahead of a huge rule change in 2014 - to the one he has now made.

When Hamilton announced he was leaving McLaren, he had his fair share of doubters, but was proved emphatically right. This is arguably an even bigger gamble, but one Hamilton has made with courage and conviction, suggesting Ferrari have presented a compelling case.

Will it prove to be another masterstroke?

Chance to emulate Schumacher

There is another factor to consider in this and that is Hamilton’s ongoing pursuit of a record eighth world title.

Achieving the feat would move him one world championship clear of Michael Schumacher in the all-time list.

Try as they might, Ferrari have been unable to shake off the unwanted drought since their last F1 title triumph with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. Even greats Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel failed in their attempts to turn around the Scuderia’s fortunes. 

Hamilton will see the mouth-watering appeal for his own shot at restoring Ferrari to their former glory days, like Schumacher did in the mid-to-late 90s. Crowning success for Hamilton would see him become the first driver to win a world championship with McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari.

It would be a fitting final chapter to an illustrious career.