Laurence Edmondson
Laurence Edmondson
F1 Editor
- • Joined ESPN in 2009
• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011
Nate Saunders
Nate Saunders
General Editor, F1
Lewis Hamilton is close to completing a sensational switch from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025, multiple sources have told ESPN.
Hamilton, a seven-time world champion and the driver with most F1 wins in history, signed what was believed to be a two-year contract extension with Mercedes last year, but it appears the second year of that now may well have been an option.
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Mercedes and Ferrari both declined to comment when approached by ESPN.
Although not confirmed officially, sources have told ESPN the deal is as good as done, with the move seeing Hamilton replace Spanish driver Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton, 39, has been frequently linked with Ferrari, the sport’s most successful team, throughout his career but looked set to finish his career with Mercedes.
Last season, before signing his Mercedes extension, Hamilton laughed off suggestions of a move to the Italian team, but it appears as though negotiations have picked up steam in the last few months.
One source told ESPN that Ferrari chairman John Elkann is determined to land a big-name signing for Ferrari.
Elkann is known to have been a big admirer of Hamilton for a while.
Ferrari had at least one world champion driver at the team from 1996, when Michael Schumacher arrived, to 2020, when Sebastian Vettel left at the end of the year. In 2021 Sainz joined Charles Leclerc, who has just recently signed a long extension believed to tie him down at Ferrari beyond 2026.
Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur worked with Hamilton in his junior career, helping guide the Brit to a title in GP2 (now Formula 2) with the ART team in 2006, and has also likely played a key role in the negotiations.
Ferrari has been stalling on a similar extension for Sainz, who now appears to be set to be a major cog in driver market developments going forward.
Sainz had been widely tipped to be a candidate for Audi’s incoming F1 project in 2026, but he now looks set to be out of a drive one year early.
Former Red Bull product Sainz now could be in frame for a seat with his former employer in 2025, with Sergio Perez’s future still a massive question-mark, and would also be a strong option for Mercedes in filling the gap left by Hamilton.