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LEWIS HAMILTON has spoken about his decision to leave Mercedes after unveiling the team’s challenger for the 2024 season.Hamilton stunned F1 to announce that he was quitting Mercedes after 11 years to join Ferrari in 2025.
Lewis Hamilton has spoken out about his decision to leave MercedesCredit: Getty
Mrecedes have revealed their car for the 2024 seasonCredit: Instagram / @mercedesamgf1
The W15 is the team’s standard black and silver liveryCredit: Instagram / @mercedesamgf1
Toto Wolff (C) says Mercedes ‘have a mountain to climb.Credit: AFP
He broke the shock news to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff over breakfast at the Austrian’s home in Oxford last month.
Hamilton, 39, will now see out his contract with Mercedes and says he is still committed to helping them get back onto the top step of the podium.
Speaking at Silverstone ahead of the team’s shakedown with teammate George Russell, Hamilton said: ‘It’s obviously been emotional.
“It’s very surreal to be here. I came here in 2013, 11 years with the team, this is the start of my 12th.
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“The focus through the whole of winter training is getting the team back to where we once were.
“We have had these difficult couple of years which have been really grounding for us.
“It is such a privilege to work with people to see the work they’re doing over the winter.
“This is the most exciting part of the year. To know everything underneath the hood, that George and I will be able to experience on the track. It’s exciting.”
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Mercedes unveiled their challenger for 2024 on Wednesday, with Wolff admitting they “have a mountain to climb”.
Hamilton and Russell took part in a special filming day to give the W15 car its first on-track test run at Silverstone.
Inside Lewis Hamilton’s £13m collection of supercars including £4m classic and £1.6m ride made entirely for him
It comes after the team won just one race in the previous two years, as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has dominated the sport.
After designing two dud cars, Wolff is now hopeful that their latest creation will deliver them back to the top step of the podium.
He said: “We know we have a mountain to climb to fight at the very front. There are no miracles in this sport.
“But our ambition and determination are strong. Since charting this new course, development has progressed well.
“We had several items on our priority list for this car. We will soon see if we’ve made the step we’ve aimed for.
“As the saying goes: when it stings, it sticks. I believe the previous two years were necessary for us to readjust, recalibrate and reinvent ourselves in certain areas.
“That root-and-branch approach is never easy. But we’ve made progress and look forward to taking the next step with the W15. It won’t be a linear path, but when we stumble, we will get back up and keep climbing.”
The season kicks off in Bahrain in two-week’s time in what will be Hamilton’s last before he jumps ship to Ferrari.
Hamilton will join Ferrari from the 2025 seasonCredit: AP
Unlike their rivals who made their drivers all readily available, Mercedes opted for a digital-only launch, meaning Wolff and their drivers were unavailable for questions.
Consequently, their focus was only on the team’s recovery and ambitions for this season.
In an otherwise drab press release, Hamilton is quoted as saying: “The learnings of the past two years have helped us find our direction.
“It has enabled us to find our north star. It’s still going to be a work in progress, but we will face whatever challenges present themselves with our heads up, with open minds, and work through diligently.”
Russell is quoted saying: “We’ve learnt and grown as a team over the past two seasons.
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“It’s not been plain sailing, but I truly believe the journey we’ve been on will make us stronger in the long run.
“The whole team has been working incredibly hard and we hope to have made a step with the W15.” More

LEWIS HAMILTON’s move to Ferrari caught the team’s current driver – Carlos Sainz – by surprise.Hamilton stunned the sport last month when it was announced that he was quitting Mercedes to join F1’s most-famous team in 2025.
Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell move to Ferrari for 2025 took many by surpriseCredit: AFP
This includes Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who Hamilton will replaceCredit: Getty
The Brit, 39, activated a break clause in his Mercedes deal to allow him to join the Italian outfit at the expense of Sainz, who has been shown the door.
The Spaniard, who was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last year, was quizzed about Hamilton’s arrival next season.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s Ferrari challenger, Sainz said: “I was a bit surprised, like everyone in the Formula One world.
“From my side you can understand I got to know the news a bit earlier than anyone else and I had some weeks to reflect and prepare and some weeks to also get ready for the car launch and the first race of the season.
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“That gave me a bit of time to digest it and to draw my own conclusions and to focus on the 2024 season.
“I have had a lot of messages of support which I would like to thank the F1 world for and friends back at home, who have been very supportive and very encouraging.”
Sainz, 29, will now spend this season looking for a seat for the 2025 campaign.
He added: “My next team, I don’t know yet and I have time to decide when that happens next. There are plenty of options out there.
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“I am approaching the most important three or four years of my career and I want to make sure that I am in the right place.
“I am going to listen to all the options so when I make the decision I have given myself enough time with enough information.”
Did Charles Leclerc drop secret hint about Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari from Mercedes in awkward interview LAST YEAR?
Hamilton will partner Charles Leclerc who has a new long-term deal with Ferrari.
And the 26-year-old says he has welcomed the seven-time world champion into the team and – unlike Sainz – was not shocked by the move.
He added: “This kind of deal is not finalised overnight. It takes time and I was aware of those discussions before I signed my deal so it did not come as a surprise.
“Obviously, Lewis is an incredible driver, the most successful in history, with a lot of experience which he brings to the team which is a good thing.
“I have had discussions with Lewis especially when everything was announced and official. We texted each other.
“Lewis is a great champion with so much success.
“It is always interesting to have a new team-mate, because you learn different ways of driving and working, and even more so when my new team-mate is a seven-time world champion.”

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

FORMULA ONE fans are convinced Fernando Alonso will join Mercedes after his manager was spotted at breakfast with chief Toto Wolff.Lewis Hamilton will depart the Silver Arrows at the end of the upcoming season to join rivals Ferrari at the start of 2025.
Fernando Alonso’s manager Flavio Briatore was spotted with Toto Wolff at breakfastCredit: Instagram / @briatoreflavio
F1 fans think the meeting means Alonso will join MercedesCredit: Splash
Lewis Hamilton announced he will leave Mercedes at the end of next season to join FerrariCredit: AP
The seven-time world champion, Hamilton recently dropped the bombshell that the secret clause in his contract to sign the £100million deal with Ferrari has been triggered.
This leaves one of the best seats in F1 open for the taking.
And a pic of Alonso’s manager Flavio Briatore with Mercedes boss Wolff on Instagram at Pasticceria Cova Montecarlo pastry shop in Monaco on Monday has got fans speculating.
One fan said: “They are up to something. Fernando’s name is the center of the conversation.”
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While another added: “Fernando to Mercedes 🙂.”
A third then put: “FLAVIO NOOO.”
Alonso, 42, might be two-time world champion but he has not won a race since the 2013 season.
He’s flying at the moment though, finishing fourth in the championship after eight podium finishes.
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His contract with Aston Martin expires this year and he seems to rate his chances for a shot elsewhere, saying: “I know that I am attractive to other teams. 
“Let’s see what the options are. I am aware of my situation which is very unique. 
Inside Lewis Hamilton’s £13m collection of supercars including £4m classic and £1.6m ride made entirely for him
“On a move to Mercedes, there has been nothing at all. 
“I know the driver market has started earlier this year, but this will not affect me in terms of preparing for the season.
“If I want to keep racing beyond this year, the first and only talk at the beginning will be Aston Martin. 
“I trust this project and that will be my first priority.”
The new F1 season is set to get underway with pre-season testing taking place in Bahrain on February 21 as teams prepare to show off their new liveries for the first time.
The first race of the term will begin on March 2 in the West Asian country. More

LEWIS HAMILTON reportedly had a secret clause in his contract with Mercedes which could affect his time at Ferrari.The British driver will join the Italian team for the 2025 season after activating a break clause in his Mercedes deal.
Lewis Hamilton will not be able to poach anyone from MercedesCredit: Rex
He had been linked with bringing Peter Bonnington to Ferrari with himCredit: AFP
Hamilton, 39, signed a two-year deal with Ferrari worth £100 million.
This will bring an end to his 11-year association with the Brackley-based Silver Arrows.
However, he will not be allowed to bring anyone with him to Maranello.
PlanetF1.com have claimed that Hamilton had a “no-poaching” clause in his deal to prevent him from doing that.

Hamilton had been linked with a move to take race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington with him.
But Mercedes are said to have said that the existence of the clause was “accurate”.
This type of clause is not uncommon in F1 as Sebastian Vettel, 36, had a similar one when he was at Red Bull.
The German was unable to take race engineer Guillaume ‘Rocky’ Rocquelin with him when he joined Ferrari in 2015.
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Hamilton’s move to Ferrari shouldn’t come as a surprise, as he admitted in 2015 that he was keen to drive for the Italians before retiring.
He will become the 12th Brit to get behind the wheel and race for Ferrari.
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Former world champion Jenson Button reckons Fernando Alonso would be the ideal candidate to replace Hamilton at Mercedes.
Button told Sky F1: “I might have a bit of a man-crush on my ex-team-mate, but I would love to see Fernando Alonso. 
“He is 42 now, but the hunger is there. And if the hunger is there, the fitness is there.”

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

LEWIS HAMILTON reportedly revealed plans to join Ferrari NINE years before the move was announced. Last week, the seven-time world champion rocked the world of Formula One when he triggered a break clause in his Mercedes contract to head to Ferrari for the 2025 season.
Lewis Hamilton first revealed his intention to join Ferrari at a Tokyo bar in 2015Credit: EPA
Hamilton signed a £100m deal to join Ferrari in 2025Credit: PA
However, it seems these plans have been in the works since 2015 after a chat between Hamilton and Motorsport Magazine’s Matt Bishop was revealed.
Bishop lifted the lid on a chat between the pair while at F1-favourite Lex Tokyo Lounge Bar in the Roppongi district of Tokyo following the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix.
Then McLaren’s communications director, he explained how he was drinking some beers with his colleagues and mulling over the race at Suzuka, where McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso had been lapped by race winner Hamilton.
Hamilton – who had only departed McLaren for the Silver Arrows three years prior – eventually arrived at the bar with Mercedes engineers before heading over to chat with Bishop and co.
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The pair soon found themselves in a one-on-one chat, where Hamilton confessed to wanting to drive for Ferrari one day.
Bishop asked: “Do you think you’ll stay at Merc until you retire?”
To which Hamilton responded: “Well, what I’d really like to do, one day, is drive for Ferrari…
“Yeah. That would be a great way to end my F1 career, wouldn’t it? To win championships for McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari?”
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The bar has since closed down, but Hamilton’s dream to race for the Scuderia clearly never did.
Hamilton’s multi-year contract at the Prancing Horse could prove to be the final transfer of his F1 career given comments he made in the chat.
Inside Lewis Hamilton’s £13m collection of supercars including £4m classic and £1.6m ride made entirely for him
In the chat Hamilton also ruled out ever returning to McLaren, stating: “I don’t know. Never go back, they say, don’t they?
“Sometimes you just feel you’ve been somewhere too long and you need a change.”
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly revealed he knew about the move for some time.
Speaking at the launch of Alpine’s 2024 F1 car, he said: “Obviously, he’s been a long time with Mercedes, but I was aware of some talks with Ferrari.
“Ultimately, he’s towards the end of his career. So it was either now or never.
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.

“I think it was kept secret for quite a long time. I just wish him the best. Obviously, it’s sort of exciting with the driver market, and all of you guys come with it, which is normal.
“But I think ultimately, for the sport, he is the most successful driver of all time joining a new project, a new challenge. I’m sure everybody will follow that very closely.”
Hamilton’s deal at Ferrari is said to be worth a cool £100million.
He will become the 12th British driver to race for Ferrari.
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Fresh reports claim that Hamilton’s future team-mate Charles Leclerc was left “shocked and disappointed” by the move to sign the 39-year-old.
However, this stands in contrast to prior reports claiming he was welcoming to the move and Leclerc naming Hamilton as what he looks for in a team-mate.

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