Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell move to Ferrari is CONFIRMED, with the Brit releasing heartfelt statement thanking Mercedes ahead of 2025 switch as he bids to finally win eighth world title

Lewis Hamilton’s sensational move to Ferrari in 2025 has been confirmed.

Reports broke of the seven-time world champion’s impending move on Thursday morning, with Hamilton set to see out this year at Mercedes before making the jump to his new side.

The news confirms Mail Sport’s world exclusive from last May that Ferrari were in talks with Hamilton and prepared to offer him a £40million king’s ransom to join.

In what is being billed the biggest move in the sport since Hamilton’s swapped McLaren for Mercedes in 2013, the 39-year-old will launch one last bid to win his eighth world title, putting him clear of Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher.

Ferrari confirmed the news on Thursday afternoon, with Hamilton, who will say goodbye to his £50m-a-year contract with Mercedes, set to partner Charles Leclerc having signed a ‘multi-year contract’, also likely bringing and end to Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari career.

Lewis Hamilton will drive for Ferrari from 2025 in a bombshell move, it has been confirmed

The move brings an end to his 13-year stay with Mercedes, where he has won six world titles

The move brings an end to his 13-year stay with Mercedes, where he has won six world titles

Hamilton is set to drive alongside Charles Leclerc (left), who has previously said Hamilton would make an ideal team-mate

Hamilton is set to drive alongside Charles Leclerc (left), who has previously said Hamilton would make an ideal team-mate

Ferrari said in a statement on social media: ‘Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team in 2025, on a multi-year contract.’

Hamilton is currently on £50m-a-year at Mercedes, where he has won six of his seven world championships and previously expressed his desire to remain for the rest of his time in the sport.

But the car has struggled over the last few years, with Hamilton not winning a race since controversially losing the world title to Max Verstappen on the last lap of the final race of the 2021 season.

Mercedes confirmed Hamilton has activated a release option in his contract, which was signed last year.

Team boss Toto Wolff has said recently that the team’s latest build ‘feels like a car for the first time in two years’, but their supposed improvements have come too little, too late, and they will lose their key man after this year.

Hamilton is set to replace Carlos Sainz at the team, who will depart four years after joining from McLaren

Hamilton is set to replace Carlos Sainz at the team, who will depart four years after joining from McLaren

The news was confirmed in a statement released by Mercedes on the company website on Wednesday evening

The news was confirmed in a statement released by Mercedes on the company website on Wednesday evening

Ferrari also revealed the news on social media on Wednesday, revealing Hamilton had signed a 'multi-year' deal

Ferrari also revealed the news on social media on Wednesday, revealing Hamilton had signed a ‘multi-year’ deal

Hamilton’s move will also see him re-unite with long-term friend Fred Vasseur, who is Ferrari’s new team boss.

The 55-year-old has a special bond with Hamilton, so it will come as no surprise that the Briton is keen to work with the Frenchman again.

Hamilton won Formula Three and GP2 (now Formula Two) championships with Vasseur’s ART team in 2005 and 2006 before making a spectacular Formula One debut with McLaren in 2007.

‘I talk to him at every GP, he raced for me 20 years ago and we are still close,’ Vasseur, who joined Ferrari in January 2023, told Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper last season.

‘Clearly, if they (the media) see us together in the paddock, there’s a lot of fuss, but the relationship has remained.’

Hamilton won six of his seven world titles at Mercedes and had expressed his desire to finish his career with the team

Hamilton won six of his seven world titles at Mercedes and had expressed his desire to finish his career with the team

His partnership with Leclerc has raised excitement levels for the move, with the Monaco-born driver previously saying Hamilton would make the ideal team-mate.

Dubbed a future world champion himself, Leclerc is 13 years Hamilton’s junior, and has won five races in his career, securing 30 podiums and 15 pole positions in that time.

Hamilton, meanwhile, has won 103 races in his career out of 332 he has participated in, resulting in seven world titles – the joint-most alongside Schumacher.

He came closest to winning his eighth title in 2021, leading on the last lap of the final race before he was overtaken but eventual champion and arch rival Max Verstappen to miss out on the championship.

The move to Ferrari will however present a fresh opportunity to move clear of Schumacher at the top of the standings, with Ferrari seemingly further down the line when it comes to competing with Red Bull.

Hamilton said of his departure: ‘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 for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together. I am 100% committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember.’

Hamilton said he will be 'forever grateful' for his time at Mercedes but admitted 'the time is right' to move on

Hamilton said he will be ‘forever grateful’ for his time at Mercedes but admitted ‘the time is right’ to move on

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff added that he knew 'our partnership would come to a natural end at some point'

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff added that he knew ‘our partnership would come to a natural end at some point’

Team principal Toto 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’s 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.’

Ferrari have been long-term admirers of Hamilton and held talks with him to join the team in May last year

Ferrari have been long-term admirers of Hamilton and held talks with him to join the team in May last year

Meanwhile, F1 pundits have given a more considered take on the huge news.

Martin Brundle said: ‘I’m so looking forward to this. We’ve asked him for years about it and he seemed nailed on at Merc for life, and always dismissive of moving. Hamilton and Leclerc in scarlet, that’s a story.’

David Croft added: ‘Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari! Always thought it would happen one day, finally it will and it seems as early as 2025.

‘Seismic move just as it was when Lewis joined Mercedes and like then I don’t see the negatives. But wow, undoubtedly the biggest transfer on transfer deadline day!’

Former driver Karun Chandhok explained that the romanticism of a final world title with Ferrari was too good to turn down.

‘I was trying to understand “Where’s the logic in a Ferrari move?” Perhaps there isn’t any… Lewis has more money than he could ever spend, hasn’t won a race in over 2 years & maybe his heart wanted a new challenge.

‘To win an 8th title in a Ferrari would be an incredible legacy!’

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