“He just followed his gut”: Mercedes Insider reveals Lewis Hamilton wanted no regrets over joining Ferrari
Mercedes Communications director Bradley Lord revealed that Lewis Hamilton wanted no regrets over joining Ferrari and that he followed his gut while making the decision.
The seven-time world champion surprised everyone when he announced at the start of the season that he will join the Italian team in 2025, ending his 12-year stint with former world champions Mercedes.
The decision meant that the chapter of the most successful driver-team combination will come to a close after a long association that started in 2013. On the Fast and Curious Podcast, the Mercedes communications director said that it would be different for the team to have the Brit in another team.
While also giving an insight behind Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari on a multi-year deal, he said:
“It’s going to be different but not hard because I totally understand the reasons why he’s done that he’s had this aspiration to sit be in red and you know drive in red before the end of his career. He’s got only a certain number of years left, and he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning.”I think the way he said it to me he didn’t want to sort of sit in his pipe and slippers in 30 years and then go God I wish I’d driven for Ferrari. So when the opportunity came, he just followed his gut, and, yes, it was difficult complicated surprising and all the rest, but I kind of understand it.” (16:10)Carlos Sainz shares take on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move
Carlos Sainz understands Ferrari’s decision to sign Lewis Hamilton, as the opportunity to sign a seven-time world champion would have been difficult to pass by for the Prancing Horses.
In his interview with GQ Spain, the departing Ferrari driver said:
“I understand Ferrari’s decision, the opportunity to sign a seven-time World Champion, and what that can bring and attract to a team. That’s why, when I looked at it reflectively, it didn’t hurt so much,” he added.
The 29-year-old reflected that he didn’t mind getting replaced by Hamilton, explaining:
“It’s not that you are being replaced by any other driver, but you are being replaced by the best driver in the history of the sport or one of the best drivers in the history of the sport.”
Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari on a three-year deal, until the end of the 2027 season. The 39-year-old’s decision was also motivated by the thought of winning a record-breaking eighth world championship with the most decorated team in history and go down in F1 folklore.
