Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will only compete for Mercedes until the 2024 season, before joining Ferrari.
Hamilton is contracted to Mercedes until the end of the 2025 season, but Sky Sports believes the 39-year-old will not see out his contract. The negotiations between Hamilton and Ferrari are nearing conclusion, and the deal is expected to be announced soon. The deal comes as a surprise as Mercedes and Ferrari are direct rivals, and the 39-year-old has driven Mercedes engines his entire career.
Lewis Hamilton at the 2022 Saudi Arabia race. Photo: AP
Hamilton is tied with Michael Schumacher for seven F1 world titles, winning in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. His 2008 win came in a McLaren MP4-23, while the following six titles have come in Mercedes colours. The Briton has spent his entire F1 career driving Mercedes engines since his F1 debut in 2007. However, he will make his F1 debut in Ferrari in 2005, at the age of 40.
Mercedes dominated the hybrid era in F1 from 2014 to 2020. However, changes to the regulations and engines have seen Red Bull emerge as the strongest car since 2021. Since then, Max Verstappen has won three consecutive championships with Red Bull, while Hamilton has finished second, sixth and third.
In F1, Mercedes and Ferrari are the main rivals for second place behind Red Bull. Last season, Hamilton's team finished second, just three points ahead of Ferrari. Both teams are also rich in tradition, with Ferrari winning 16 titles and Mercedes third with eight.
The 2024 season will start on March 2 in Bahrain, with 24 races, ending in Abu Dhabi on December 8. Hamilton will compete in George Russell's final season, while Ferrari will continue to use Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Sainz's contract expires at the end of this season, and there are rumors that he will move to a new team, Audi, in 2026. The internal race between Hamilton and Leclerc at Ferrari in 2025 is expected to be interesting.
Xuan Binh
Source link
Comment (0)