Hamilton’s Ferrari Gamble Mirrors 2012 McLaren Exit

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari echoes his bold 2012 switch to Mercedes, showcasing his readiness to embrace new challenges in F1.

Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the 2025 season. Matt Whyman, who authored a behind-the-scenes book on Mercedes F1 (to be published in 2025 by Talent Editions in France), recalls the moment the seven-time world champion explained his decision.

“I asked him directly what was happening, and he simply said, ‘It’s every kid’s dream who gets into racing to drive a Ferrari, and that’s it. I didn’t want to reach the end of my career and look back thinking, What if?’” Whyman told the Mirror.

“He says he knows when his career will end. He has a very clear plan ahead. He mentioned that winning all those races with Mercedes and being part of that journey was hugely important to him. The only thing he hadn’t done, he said, was make sure he wouldn’t leave thinking, I wish I’d done that.”

However, the driver also shared how difficult it was to announce his impending departure to his close-knit team, including his engineers and mechanics, with whom he typically kicks off the season with an outing.

“His team means a lot to him—his engineers, Bono, the entire crew, they’re incredibly important to him. Every year, he takes them paintballing just to build bonds before the season, and everything was set for them to go paintballing. He told me he arrived and saw them waiting to go in.”

“He told me he couldn’t get out of the car for 20 minutes. He wondered what he was going to say to them after all this time. He’s very human. I don’t think this was a robotic decision. I know Lewis can come across as very focused, and this is a calculated decision.”

“But he’s human, and he knows it has repercussions. On a personal level, friendship was what mattered most to him. Speaking to his colleagues, I think everyone understands. It’s Ferrari, and he’s a man who’s done it all—this is the one thing he hasn’t done.”

Reflecting on his mindset when leaving McLaren for Mercedes, a decision made in 2012, Hamilton found he could make a similar choice and embrace a new challenge.

“He used it as a precedent, so to speak. Back then, he was younger, and it was a harder decision to make, as he didn’t fully trust himself. He has a deep fondness for McLaren, but he says it was like growing up in a house with his parents and reaching adulthood.”

“You want independence and freedom, but you’re still treated as though you haven’t quite reached that stage. His precedent was this: ‘I’ve done this before, and everyone questioned what I was doing. I have to follow my instinct.’”