There had been speculation back in May that the seven-time world champion had held talks with Ferrari over a potential move, but Hamilton previously denied these discussions.
These rumours seemed to be rubbished even more when the 39-year-old extended his contract with Mercedes until the end of the 2025 season last summer.
But on Thursday morning, Hamilton’s incredible move to Maranello looked to be all but confirmed, with the Mercedes staff at Brackley HQ finding out about the shocking departure later that day.