F1: Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes in 2025 and join Ferrari on multi-year contract as move confirmed

Formula One star Lewis Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes at the end of 2025 after "an amazing 11 years", it has been confirmed. The 39-year-old will join the Ferrari team for the upcoming season on a multi-year contract.

Mercedes also issued a statement confirming Hamilton had activated the release clause in his contract and will leave at the end of the season.

In a statement, Hamilton said: “I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It’s a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.

“But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto (Wolff) for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together. I am 100 per cent committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows one to remember.”

Mercedes team principal Wolff added: “In terms of a team-driver pairing, our relationship with Lewis has become the most successful the sport has seen, and that’s something we can look back on with pride; Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history.

“However, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come. We accept Lewis’ decision to seek a fresh challenge, and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate. But for now, we still have one season to go, and we are focused on going racing to deliver a strong 2024.”