Lewis Hamilton didn’t tell parents about Ferrari F1 move until day of announcement

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he didn’t tell his parents that he was joining Ferrari until the day of the announcement.

Hamilton shocked the entire sporting world earlier this month with the news that he would be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari from 2025.

It would bring an end to Hamilton’s long-term association with Mercedes, having started in F1 with McLaren, who were powered by the German brand.

Hamilton then made a shock decision to leave McLaren for Mercedes in 2013, with the move ultimately leading to six title wins and years of dominance at Brackley.

His move to Ferrari could be another inspired one, particularly as the new F1 technical regulations will be introduced in 2026.

Speaking on BBC 5 Live’s new podcast ‘F1: Back at Base’, Hamilton spoke about his surprise move to Ferrari.

Reflecting on the announcement itself, Hamilton confirmed that “no one knew” beforehand, even his father, Anthony Hamilton, who has been a big part of his career.

"I didn't speak to anybody. I didn't tell my parents till the day of it being announced. So, no one knew,” he said.

"I really wanted to do it for myself. Ultimately, I had to find out what would be the best for me."

Hamilton will likely end his F1 career with Ferrari given he will be 40 when he drives for the team for the first time.

He described the decision to join Ferrari as going with his “gut feeling”.

“It happened very fast and I’ve known Fred [Vasseur] for a long time,” he said. “For me, I was excited for a new year, but not really knowing what the future would hold and not really knowing how long I was going to race for, but knowing that I felt super driven and excited to continue to race.

“I mean, the opportunity just popped up and I was like, okay, I’ve got to think for a second.

“And I didn’t have a lot of time to think and I had to just go with my gut feeling and I decided to take the opportunity.”