The world of Formula 1 was shocked on February 1st when the British driver made a surprising announcement. Despite recently signing a new contract with Mercedes, he revealed that he will be joining the prestigious Italian Scuderia next year.
In a recent interview on a BBC podcast, Hamilton admitted that he kept his decision a secret from everyone, including his parents, until the day of the announcement. He explained that he wanted to make the choice for himself and determine what would be best for his future.
It was later revealed that the contract Hamilton signed with Mercedes last August was actually for one year, with the option for a second year. However, he chose not to exercise that option. Instead, he was lured by the opportunity to join Ferrari, the most esteemed team in the sport, and reportedly receive an incredible value of $100 million per year.
The head of the Mercedes team, Toto Wolff, was informed of Hamilton’s decision to leave just one day before, during a breakfast at Wolff’s house. The two have developed a close friendship since Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, after leaving McLaren.
At 39 years old, Hamilton shares the record for Formula 1 titles, with seven, alongside Michael Schumacher. However, Hamilton surpasses Schumacher in terms of race wins and pole positions, with 103 and 104, respectively.
Hamilton has previously expressed his fascination with the idea of racing for Ferrari, a team with which Schumacher achieved great success, winning five of his world titles. When the opportunity arose, Hamilton had little time to contemplate and ultimately decided to follow his instincts and seize the chance.
Hamilton will begin his final season with Mercedes this Saturday at the Bahrain Grand Prix. His most recent victory was at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the 2021 world championship, where Max Verstappen secured his first of three consecutive titles with Red Bull.
