After winning one world championship with the team, Hamilton made the switch to Mercedes in 2013, where he went on to establish himself as one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport.
However, it has been a frustrating few years for the Brit, having been replaced by Red Bull star Max Verstappen as F1's dominant force, with his last championship victory coming in 2020.
Now, though, Matt Whyman - author of Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane - has opened up on some of his discussions with the 105-time racer winner as part of his book preparations.
Whyman spent 18 months travelling and working alongside the team, gaining a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the inner workings of the organisation, which involved getting exclusive access to their biggest stars.
Speaking to The Mirror, the award-winning writer explained Hamilton's upcoming move to Ferrari was a topic of discussion when he spoke to the Brit, revealing that the seven-time champion has a clear plan in his mind on when he is going to call it a day.
Whyman said: "I asked him directly what was going on and he just said, ‘It is every kid's dream who gets involved in motor racing to race a Ferrari, and that is it - I did not want to get to the end of my career and look back and go, what if?’,"
"He says he knows when the end of his career will be, he has got this very clear plan ahead of him.
"He said it is really meaningful to him, the fact that he has won all these races with Mercedes and he has been on this journey.
"The one thing he had not done and he just thought, ‘I do not want to walk away and go, I wish I had done that'."