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      What happened to Ferrari’s 11 British F1 drivers including last winner 60 YEARS AGO as Lewis Hamilton joins elite club

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S stunning transfer to Ferrari has shocked the world of Formula One.Motorsport fans around the globe will remember February 1 as the date Hamilton officially cut ties with Mercedes following a 26-year association.
      Lewis Hamilton has sealed a shock move to FerrariCredit: PA
      He joins the likes of Nigel Mansell on a prestigious list of British Ferrari F1 driversCredit: Rex Features
      Hamilton’s career with Mercedes
      Seven world drivers titles, 103 race wins, 104 podiums and a legion of other records to boot. To say his career backed by Mercedes power has been a success would be an understatement.
      Having signed a £100million contract with Mercedes in summer 2023, Hamilton then used a break clause in his deal to seal his switch to Ferrari.
      Hamilton will drive for the Scuderia from 2025 after signing a “multi-year contract” worth £100m.
      His goal with the Italian constructor will no doubt be to win a historic eighth title if he cannot manage it in his final season with the Silver Arrows.
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      However, Hamilton is not the only Brit to have driven in the scarlet red of the Prancing Horse.
      That being said, if he is to win Ferrari’s first driver title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 he will be fighting against history stretching back 60 YEARS.
      But who are Hamilton’s predecessors?
      Below we take a look at the 11 previous drivers to have got behind the wheel at Ferrari.
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      Peter Whitehead
      Peter Whitehead pictured drinking a beer in a FerrariCredit: 2015 Getty Images
      Peter Whitehead raced for Ferrari at the birth of F1 in 1950.
      An amateur pre-war racer and RAF pilot, Whitehead raced in 12 F1 races, achieving one podium before he left the sport in 1954.
      Following the second world war Whitehead returned to racing and worked his way to purchasing a Ferrari 125 from Enzo Ferrari, contesting nine Grand Prix with it.
      Whitehead’s most noteworthy exploits came in outside of F1 however, winning the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours race. He was killed in 1958 while competing in the Tour de France.
      Mike Hawthorn
      Mike Hawthorn was the first Briton to win the F1 world championshipCredit: SSPL/Manchester Daily Express
      “Farnham Flyer” Mike Hawthorn joined Ferrari in 1953 and raced with them until 1958 and became famed for wearing a bow tie during races.
      Battling with the likes of F1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio, Hawthorn came close to title success in 1954 as he won three podiums and won in Spain.
      However, he would not land a title until 1958, becoming the first Brit to win an F1 title in the Ferrari 246 in a title battle with Sir Stirling Moss.
      Hawthorn would retire from racing in 1958 but would tragically die in a car accident on the A3 Guildford Bypass on January 22 1959.
      Peter Collins
      Peter Collins won three races in F1Credit: 2009 Getty Images
      Peter Collins raced his first season with Ferrari in 1956.
      He earned Enzo Ferrari’s respect that season when he gave up his own world title ambitions by handing his car over to Fangio at Monza.
      Collins was active in F1 for six years, with his final win in F1 coming at Silverstone in 1958.
      He died while racing around the Nurburgring just three weeks later.
      Tony Brooks
      Tony Brooks won two races with Ferrari during his F1 careerCredit: Getty
      Tony Brooks joined Ferrari in 1959 following the deaths of Hawthorn and Collins.
      He won two races in Reims and Germany to hand him a shot at the title.
      But the title dream would fall short after an ultimately needless pit-stop at Sebring, USA, following a collision with Wolfgang von Trips.
      Unlike many unfortunate racers in the era, Brooks retired from motorsport and lived a long life, only passing away in 2022 aged 90.
      Cliff Allison
      Injuries thwarted Cliff Allison’s promising careerCredit: Getty
      Cliff Allison joined Ferrari as part of its stable of drivers for the 1959-1960 F1 season.
      However, after just six races he saw his career cut short. Following a second place finish in Argentina, a crash at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix saw Allison hurled from his cockpit and was sidelined for a year.
      Allison woke up in a hospital speaking French despite never learning the language.
      He returned to F1 in 1961 with Lotus but suffered a double leg break at the Belgium Grand Prix, ending a promising career. Allison died in 2005 aged 73.
      John Surtees
      John Surtees won world championships in F1 and on motorcyclesCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      The last man to win the F1 title at Ferrari, John Surtees was proficient in both F1 and motorcycle racing and is famed as a world champion on four and two wheels.
      He was active for 12 years in F1, winning six races including two in 1964 on route to a championship.
      Things eventually turned sour between driver and team however, leaving Ferrari in a rage in 1966.
      Surtees died of respiratory failure in 2017 at the age of 83.
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      Mike Parkes
      Mike Parkes raced six races in FerrariCredit: Getty
      Mike Parkes raced for Ferrari in the 1966 and 1967 F1 seasons following a seven-year break from the sport he had made his debut in in 1959.
      Podiums in the French and Italian Grand Prix in 1966 showed off his promise before he suffered a leg-break in Belgium ended his career prematurely.
      Parkes was also a racer in sports cars, winning the British Saloon Car Championship in 1961.
      He died in 1977 aged 45.
      Jonathan Williams
      Jonathan Williams made just one F1 start in his careerCredit: Getty
      Jonathan Williams made just one F1 start in his racing career, but making it for Ferrari means he makes this list.
      Williams one F1 race in Mexico saw him finish 8th.
      He retired in 1972 and became a pilot, before switching to be a writer and photographer.
      Williams died on in 2014 aged 71.
      Derek Bell
      Derek Bell is the most successful Brit in Le Mans historyCredit: Getty
      Derek Bell is best known for his career in sportscars.
      But the two F1 starts he made for Ferrari put him on this list even though he did not do great in the seat.
      A lack of opportunities prompted him to move on from the team in 1969, before he would go on to win Le Mans five times to make him the most successful Brit to race in it to date.
      Born in 1941, Bell has also won the Daytona 24 three times and the World Sportscar Championship twice.
      Nigel Mansell
      Nigel Mansell was the last driver confirmed by Enzo Ferrari before he diedCredit: 2019 Getty Images
      Nigel Mansell became the first driver to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari for more than 20 years when he joined the Prancing Horses in 1989.
      Things started off well with a win at the Brazilian Grand Prix, but that would prove to be a false-dawn amid reliability issues.
      Mansell would eventually leave the team at the end of 1990 to rejoin Williams, where “Mansellmania” was born as he won a championship in 1992.
      “‘Il Leone” as he was known to the Tifosi, was the last driver confirmed by Enzo Ferrari before his death. These days Mansell is enjoying retirement with a number of successful business enterprises.
      Eddie Irvine
      Eddie Irvine came within touching distance of a title at FerrariCredit: Bongarts
      Eddie Irvine came within touching distance of an F1 title in 1999, winning four races.
      However, he was unable to match Michael Schumacher in his prime and promptly left at the end of the season before retiring from F1 in 2002.
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      Irvine has since gone on to become a successful businessman which has earned him an incredible net worth.
      He is the last Brit to race for Ferrari, and 20 years on Hamilton will follow in Irvine’s footsteps aiming for an eighth title to eclipse none-other than Schumacher.

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      How Lewis Hamilton’s sensational move to Ferrari was revealed by hidden clue in beer advert – so can you spot it?

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S bombshell move to Ferrari was revealed in a BEER advert earlier this week – but everybody missed it.The legendary seven-time world champion announced on Thursday that he has agreed to drive for F1’s most famous team in 2025 and 2026.
      There is a clue in this advert from Peroni announcing their Ferrari sponsorship – but can you see it?Credit: Peroni/Ferrari
      Lewis Hamilton has agreed a bombshell package to join Ferrari in 2025Credit: EPA
      Hamilton, who will see out this season with Mercedes, has signed a £100million mega deal in a switch that has shocked F1.
      However, now it has emerged that the Brit’s big news was actually already out there and hiding in plain sight.
      Ferrari and beer brand Peroni entered a new sponsorship partnership this week.
      And during the announcement of that, they appear to have given away the secret early.
      READ MORE ON LEWIS HAMILTON
      Ferrari and Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% have joined forces in a multi-year partnership and confirmed the deal on Wednesday.
      To celebrate, Peroni released a graphic that had several Ferrari items alongside their iconic bottle of alcohol-free beer.
      But it seems something about the miniature red racing car featured in the advert when completely unnoticed.
      Can you see it in the image above?
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      The huge clue is the 44 plastered on the miniature car.
      That, of course, is Hamilton’s lucky racing number, and it is only now that fans are beginning to realise that the big move was there staring them straight in the face.
      He previously revealed: “When I started racing when I was eight, the number plate on my dad’s car – he had this red Cavalier – was F44.
      “So he used 44 – it was his idea. And then it became the family lucky number.”

      Hamilton’s exit is a huge blow to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff ahead of the new F1 season, which kicks off in Bahrain on March 2nd.
      But he is adamant that he remains committed to finishing the season with Mercedes before taking on a new challenge as he chases a record eight title crown.
      He said: “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. 
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      “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 per cent committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember.”
      Did you spot Hamilton’s racing number hidden on the car in the ad?WHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.

      Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
      Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Piastri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
      Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassle and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
      Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
      Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
      Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton. More

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      Inside Hamilton’s shock Ferrari move, fuelled by Schumacher rivalry with F1 star to be frozen out of Mercedes meetings

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      THERE is a delicious irony in Lewis Hamilton deciding his best chance of a record eighth F1 title lies with Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari team.The two drivers are tied on seven world championships apiece with Hamilton 103-91 ahead on race wins.
      Lewis Hamilton has completed a shock move to Ferrari from the start of the 2025 seasonCredit: AFP
      Hamilton will look to emulate Michael Schumacher when he pulls on the red overallsCredit: AFP
      The Briton will be 40 when he pulls on the red race-overalls to drive for F1’s most iconic team in 2025 — but don’t let that fool you into thinking he is over the hill.
      Hamilton could have stayed with Mercedes where he had a contract in place for next year but instead of sticking, has decided to twist.
      It is not motivated by money — rather his desire to secure that elusive eighth world crown.
      Despite Red Bull making it clear they did not see him as part of their future, Hamilton appears to have run out of confidence in Mercedes after they delivered two dud cars in successive seasons.
      READ MORE ON HAMILTON
      Just as Schumacher did when he joined Ferrari in 1996, Hamilton has the potential to galvanise the Italian team and turn them into world-beaters.
      The reality is he needs Ferrari as much as they need him to help deliver their first constructors’ title since 2008.
      Hamilton’s move is unexpected — despite incorrect reports saying it was done last summer — but not out of character.
      When he quit McLaren in 2012 to join Mercedes the following season, many questioned the logic.
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      McLaren were regular winners and Mercedes were not.
      But the late Niki Laudi sold Hamilton on the Silver Arrows’ vision for 2014 and beyond — a new era of regulations with hybrid engines — and he joined a year ahead of those changes.
      He went on to add SIX titles to the one he won in 2008 at McLaren in a crushing spell of dominance.
      Fast forward 11 years and we are faced with a similar prospect. New rules are coming in for 2026 — and Hamilton is going a year earlier.This time, Fred Vasseur delivered the pitch and Hamilton knows the Ferrari team principal well, having won the GP2 title in 2006 for his ART team.
      The pace at which the deal was concluded, as he exercised the break-clause in his Mercedes deal, clearly caught his current employers out.
      Mercedes hurriedly briefed their staff on Thursday that their star driver was off — a killer blow ahead of a new season which starts in Bahrain on March 2.
      So what next? Hamilton faces a tricky 11 months at a team who know he is departing for their rivals.
      For the first time in his career he will be the outsider in his own team and excluded from meetings about the development of Mercedes’ challenger for 2025.
      Schumacher and Hamilton are tied on seven world titles eachCredit: EPAWHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.

      Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
      Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Piastri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
      Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassle and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
      Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
      Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
      Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.

      But one thing for sure —  Hamilton will want to go out with a bang.
      He is desperate for a race  win to end the longest wait of his career — stretching back to the penultimate race of the 2021 season in Saudi Arabia before he lost his world crown to Max Verstappen.
      His arrival will be a shot in the arm to Ferrari and act as a wake-up call to eradicate the  operational mistakes which have cost them in recent years.
      He was personally selected by Ferrari chairman John Elkann, a long-term admirer of Hamilton’s talent.
      It will also add pressure on Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver who has just signed a new deal with the team but has a poor conversation rate of five wins in 23 pole positions.
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      It makes for an exciting prospect and is the shot in the arm F1 needed after Verstappen’s dominance in 2023.
      We might have to wait another year before the Red Bull ace is seriously challenged but the prospect of Verstappen being challenged by Hamilton in a Ferrari is tantalising. More

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      Lewis Hamilton breaks silence on Ferrari move in emotional 134-word statement after bombshell Mercedes exit

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      LEWIS HAMILTON bid an emotional farewell to Mercedes as he confirmed his shock exit.The legendary driver will leave the Silver Arrows at the end of 2024, with Ferrari confirmed Hamilton WILL join them for 2025 and 2026 after penning a whopping £100million contract.
      Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes at the end of 2024Credit: PA
      But as the news of his Mercedes departure was announced at 7pm, he broke his silence with a classy message.
      Hamilton, 39, said: “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.
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      “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 per cent committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember.”
      Hamilton activated a clause in his latest contract to trigger his exit.
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      It means the Stevenage star will depart after an 18-year partnership with Mercedes in Formula One.
      From his debut season in 2007 to 2012, Hamilton raced for McLaren Mercedes.
      And in 2013, he joined the Brackley giants’ F1 team, winning six of his world championship titles.
      He came second to team-mate Nico Rosberg in 2016 before agonisingly being pipped on the final lap of the 2021 season by Max Verstappen.
      After a nightmare year in 2022, he bounced back to finish third in the drivers’ championship – but his long wait for a chequered flag goes on.
      Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff – who must find a replacement for Hamilton – 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 confirmed the news minutes after Mercedes, releasing their own statement that simply said: “Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team in 2025, on a multi-year contract.”
      The bombshell switch will see him partner Charles Leclerc and comes after Red Bull had made it clear they did not see Hamilton in their team.
      And that spells the end for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari.
      The Spaniard tweeted: “Following today’s news, Scuderia Ferrari and myself will part ways at the end of 2024.
      “We still have a long season ahead of us and, like always, I will give my absolute best for the team and for the Tifosi all around the world.
      “News about my future will be announced in due course.”
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      SunSport understands Hamilton brokered the deal himself thanks to swift negotiations with Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur.
      The two are friends and in 2006 Hamilton won the GP2 title driving for Vasseur’s ART teams.
      Toto Wolff paid tribute to his departing legendCredit: Splash
      Hamilton will wear the famous red of the Scuderia in 2025 and 2026Credit: AP
      Carlos Sainz announced his exit minutes after the Hamilton news brokeCredit: Reuters More

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      ‘The ghost of Enzo Ferrari came to me…’ F1 host had ‘vision’ that Lewis Hamilton was going to join Ferrari

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      SIR LEWIS HAMILTON sent shockwaves around the world when it was announced he will be joining Ferrari.Hamilton, 39, is poised to end his glittering 11-year stint with Mercedes to join the Formula One giants for the 2025 season despite agreeing a two-year deal with his current team.

      Sir Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes to join FerrariCredit: Getty
      Steve Jones claims Enzo Ferrari told him Hamilton is joining FerrariCredit: AFP
      F1 fans were left stunned following the announcement, except one – Channel 4 presenter Steve Jones.
      Jones claimed he has known about Sir Lewis’ imminent move to Ferrari since last May.
      The TV host linked up with Hamilton’s soon-to-be ex-teammate George Russell for an interview in Monaco.
      And that is when the presenter told Russell he would be losing his partner because of a vision he had.
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      And in it he saw none other than Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari – who died in 1988 – telling him Hamilton is joining his team.
      Jones said almost nine months ago: “It’s happening. I’ve seen it in one of my visions.
      “The ghost of Enzo Ferrari came to me and he said, ‘Lewis, you are coming to Ferrari’.
      “It’s happening. We can’t stop it at this point.”
      Most read in MotorsportWHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES?Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.

      Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell at the Silver Arrows.
      Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Piastri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
      Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassle and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
      Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
      Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
      Alex Albon – A more sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.

      F1 insiders believe the deal could be completed within the next 24 hours in a bombshell move that would see Hamilton partner Charles Leclerc.
      Mercedes are yet to officially confirm the Brit’s departure, but SunSport understands that staff were told of his exit in a ten-minute meeting today.
      The legendary driver has been without a win since December 2021 following a string of losses to rival Max Verstappen.
      Hamilton will be hoping this move finally lands him a record eighth world championship – when he is 40 years old.

      🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁  More

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      Five stars who could replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes including McLaren ace and 17-year-old wonderkid

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’s switch to Ferrari is set to be confirmed within hours – leaving Mercedes with a vacant seat for 2025.The seven-time world champion will end his 11-year spell with Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season.
      Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of 2024Credit: Splash
      He is set to join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari next term, with Carlos Sainz in line to leave the Italian team.
      Mercedes now have to scout another driver to replace the F1 legend, with a few names already among the candidates.
      SunSport looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
      Oscar Piastri
      McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Pisatri, 22.
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      The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren.
      He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
      Oscar Piastri enjoyed an outstanding debut season in F1 last yearCredit: PA
      Daniel Ricciardo
      The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team.
      Ricciardo would be low-hassel and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35.
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      It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
      Daniel Ricciardo replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri midway through the 2023 seasonCredit: Getty
      Kimi Antonelli
      You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019.
      This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine.
      A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
      Toto Wolff is a huge fan of Kimi AntonelliCredit: Getty
      Mick Schumacher
      Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration.
      He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem.
      He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
      Mick Schumacher is currently Mercedes’ reserve driverCredit: Getty
      Alex Albon
      A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles.
      Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.
      Alex Albon is also among the potential candidatesCredit: Getty More

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      Lewis Hamilton announcement sees Ferrari value skyrocket by over £3BILLION

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      FERRARI’S value has skyrocketed by over £3billion following the news Lewis Hamilton is set to join in 2025.The seven-time world champion has reportedly told Mercedes staff he will leave at the end of the 2024 F1 season.
      Lewis Hamilton’s potential arrival has seen Ferrari’s share price skyrocketCredit: PA
      It is understood he will then join Ferrari next year, partnering Charles Leclerc on the grid.
      Following the news on Thursday, Ferrari’s share price has increased by six per cent, with their value has rising by £3.16billion.
      The Italian firm also announced their financial results on the same day the Hamilton news broke.
      Growth in revenues and earnings were confirmed by Ferrari for the 2023 financial year.
      READ MORE F1 NEWS
      Hamilton’s potential arrival comes thanks to a break clause in the two-year deal he signed with Mercedes last season.
      The clause allows him to leave the team at the end of 2024, with Ferrari set to swoop for the British driver.
      He is expected to replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari and partner Leclerc next year.
      Hamilton’s exit will bring to an end an 11-year association with Mercedes, which began in 2013.
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      During that time, he has won six world titles, including four in a row between 2017 and 2020.
      However, he is without a race win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
      The 39-year-old was able to secure three second-place finishes last season, though, in Australia, Spain and Mexico.
      He ended the 2023 Drivers’ Championship in third behind Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. More

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      Lewis Hamilton to be blocked from Mercedes meetings and alienated by Toto Wolff but could break title record at Ferrari

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      LEWIS HAMILTON can most-definitely win a record eighth world title with Ferrari.The Brit will have just turned 40 when he suits-up in red overalls to start his career driving for F1’s most famous team.
      Lewis Hamilton will move from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025Credit: PA
      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff looks set to cut Hamilton out of team meetingsCredit: Reuters

      There will be those who say he is over the hill, too old, not sharp enough – rubbish! Hamilton is exactly the man Ferrari needs – and he needs them too.
      To those who are questioning his decision to jump ship, then perhaps a little history lesson will jog the mind.
      When Hamilton quit McLaren in 2012 to join Mercedes in 2013, plenty questioned the logic – and rightly so for McLaren were regular winners and Mercedes were not.
      But, Hamilton was sold on the vision for 2014 and beyond, a new era of regulations that saw the introduction of new hybrid engines and a shift that would turn the grid on its head.
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      Hamilton was lured by the message delivered by the late Niki Lauda who sold the Brit on his vision – and so he joined a year ahead of those major rule changes in 2013.
      He then went on to add six titles to the one he won in 2008 at McLaren in a crushing spell of dominance.
      Fast forward 11 years and we are faced with a similar prospect. New rules are coming in for 2026 – and Hamilton is going a year earlier.
      Is history about to repeat itself? Let’s see, but what we do know is that he sees Ferrari as his best hope of ending his wait for that elusive eighth world crown.
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      WHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.
      Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
      Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Pisatri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
      Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassel and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
      Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
      Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumahcer and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
      Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.

      We know that Red Bull is not an option for him as Christian Horner has made it clear they do not see him as a driver for their future.
      We now also know that Hamilton does not believe Mercedes have the abilities to turn their ship around after a succession of dud motors.
      Hamilton is winless since December 2021, his last victory coming in the penultimate race of the season in Saudi Arabia before he would lose his world crown to Max Verstappen.
      Mercedes have rewarded boss Toto Wolff and designer James Allison with new deals over the last two weeks, perhaps in a vain attempt to convince their star driver that all is well.
      But there does not seem to be enough to convince Hamilton to remain at the Silver Arrows.
      Added weight can be applied to this theory that they are indeed off the pace when you assess that Mercedes are planning to launch their challenger for 2024 – without any media present.
      A digital-only launch event at Silverstone with no questions asked – perhaps they are trying to manage expectations?
      What follows now is interesting. There is no doubt Hamilton will simply write off this season.
      He will look to finish off his time with Mercedes with a bang and take the momentum forward into Ferrari.
      That said, he will be cut out of meetings about future development, as is only natural to protect their future designs from Ferrari’s engineers.
      He will find himself alienated within his own team – and that will be a new experience for him to cope with.
      For Ferrari, they will be boosted by his arrival and now have 12 months to iron out their operational mistakes that have cost them in the past.
      At the same time, they will no doubt divert some of their attention to their cars for the 2025 and 2026 season.
      Finally, Hamilton’s arrival should also provide the necessary motivation for Charles Leclerc to discover a new level of ability.
      There is no doubt about his qualifying pace, but his performances in the race have sometimes been lacklustre.
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      Leclerc will not want to be out-shone by Hamilton once he is alongside him driving for the same team.
      It promises to be an exciting time for Hamilton, Ferrari and indeed F1 as a whole, plus the delicious irony that the Brit could beat Michael Schumacher’s joint-record of seven world titles while driving for the Italian team. More