Hamilton completes Mercedes agreement as Ferrari debut delayed

Lewis Hamilton has carried out an agreement with Mercedes, as his Ferrari debut is delayed by final commitments with the Brackley outfit.

Hamilton raced his final race with Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last weekend, finishing fourth in a stunning drive, despite starting the race down in 16th.

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The 2024 season finale brought to an end a partnership that has yielded six drivers' championships and eight constructors' titles over a 12-season spell, the most successful driver-team partnership that Formula 1 has ever seen.

Hamilton will instead race with Ferrari from 2025, in a last-ditch attempt to claim an unprecedented eighth world championship title before his legendary career comes to a close.

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Hamilton's loving message to fans

Hamilton will not drive a Ferrari until the 2025 pre-season test, however, missing the Abu Dhabi post-season tyre test due to a farewell tour with Mercedes that Hamilton agreed to complete ahead of his team switch.

In a recent press conference, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff blamed Ferrari for the slight delay to Hamilton's debut in red, stating that Fred Vasseur hadn't asked for Hamilton to be released from his Mercedes contract early.

Other driver signings, including Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg, were driving with their new teams at the post-season test, but Hamilton instead flew to Malaysia for a Mercedes sponsor event.

Following a long and tumultuous 2024 season for the 39-year-old, Hamilton has recently expressed how much he is looking forward to a winter break, but still had to finish his Mercedes commitments first.

At the Petronas event in Kuala Lumpur, Hamilton left a final message to his Mercedes fans and team sponsor via his Instagram page.

"All love always, thank you for all the warm welcomes over the years, KL," Hamilton wrote in the post.

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A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton)

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