Lewis Hamilton’s team switch has been confirmed in an official Formula 1 statement at the beginning of the new year.
The seven-time world champion competed in his final race for Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, confirming his departure as he heads to Ferrari this year.
Hamilton enjoyed a series of farewell tributes from the team where he won six of his world titles, including outings in his old Mercedes cars and emotional messages from team principal Toto Wolff.
However, his final few seasons with the team often left the champion frustrated, and he was unable to get the best out of his car, only claiming two race wins in the past three seasons.
The 39-year-old shocked the F1 paddock when he announced his move to Ferrari at the beginning of last year, a switch that has since become highly anticipated.
Now, the wait is finally over with Hamilton’s move to Ferrari officially confirmed by F1, in a statement released on Instagram for New Year.
F1 posted a picture of Hamilton to their social media bathed in a red light, with the simple statement of the date ‘0:00 UTC, January 1, 2025’ and the phrase ‘Lewis Hamilton is a Scuderia Ferrari driver’.
Hamilton will debut in his first race with the Scuderia at the Australian Grand Prix in March, but fans will certainly glimpse the champion in red before then.
Ferrari have confirmed that February 19 will be the debut date for their 2025 challenger, but team principal Fred Vasseur has teased an earlier appearance for Hamilton.
According to the Frenchman, we could see Hamilton test drive the Ferrari in January, weather permitting, around their private track in Fiorano.