Lewis Hamilton poised to make shock Ferrari switch for 2025 F1 season

Lewis Hamilton could be set to make a shock move to join Ferrari in 2025. The seven-time Formula One world champion is reportedly in the advanced stages of negotiation with the Scuderia but no deal has yet been signed.

The 39-year-old has been linked with a potential move to Ferrari in the past but has repeatedly insisted he would stay with current team Mercedes, suggesting he would see out his career with the team and then take on an ambassadorial role with them. However it is understood the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, and the technical director, James Allison, are set to hold a meeting with staff at 2pm on Thursday.

Quick GuideHow do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts?Show

Thank you for your feedback.

Hamilton is known to have had discussions with the Ferrari chief executive, John Elkann, who has made his desire to bring him to the Scuderia clear and the team admitted they had held discussions with Hamilton about the chances of the British driver joining them in 2019. Previous rumours of a move to Ferrari have proved unfounded, however, the latest reports are understood to be based on serious talks between Hamilton and Ferrari and may be confirmed as early as Thursday afternoon.

Mercedes, Ferrari and Hamilton’s representatives have yet to comment on the reports.

Hamilton concluded a new contract with Mercedes in August last year to extend his deal with the team through 2024 and 2025. It appears, though, he may have had an option allowing him to step away from the second season and join Charles Leclerc at Maranello.

Hamilton has been with Mercedes since 2013 and won six of his seven world championships with the team. However, since 2022 their car has been well off the pace of the dominant Red Bull and he has been unable to challenge for the title. He has made his disappointment and frustration at their performance clear but always insisted that he was confident the team would come back. This season they are bringing an entirely new design to attempt to bridge the gap.

A move to Ferrari would not guarantee success, however. They too have struggled under the new regulations, finishing third in the constructors’ championship last year, behind Red Bull and Mercedes. They have not won a drivers’ title since Kimi Raikkonen did so in 2007 and have not won a constructors’ championship since 2008.

skip past newsletter promotion

The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s action

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

after newsletter promotion

At the Monaco GP last year Hamilton responded to rumours about a move to Ferrari by denying he had been in talks with the team. However after his new contract with Mercedes was announced he did concede he was already thinking of his future in the sport. “In terms of long-term, I’m thinking about my next contract, what that will look like, how long that will be. I plan to be here for a while,” he said.