Mercedes to Maranello: Lewis Hamilton’s Big Move to Ferrari
- newspaper59
- Feb 27
- 3 min read
Caryss Green, 25
As all Formula 1 fans are aware, Lewis Hamilton is racing for Ferrari in 2025. Excitement is high for the legend’s first year in red, and many are waiting in anticipation to see how the season will play out.
Hamilton’s bold move to Ferrari caught many people off-guard. Hamilton drove for Mercedes for 12 years. Together, he and the team shared 84 of his 105 race wins, 78 pole positions, 246 races, 3,949.5 points, 6 of his 7 WDC wins, and 8 WCC wins. His big switch was announced at the end of January 2024, stating that he would be taking Carlos Sainz’s seat for the upcoming season, forcing Sainz to look to other teams to continue his career.
While many were taken aback by his change to Ferrari, who can blame Hamilton for wanting to drive for the renowned team. Ferrari has an incredible history in the sport of Formula 1. The iconic red car has won a record 16 World Constructors’ Championships and 15 World Drivers’ Championships. In the words of former Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, “Everybody is a Ferrari fan. Even if they’re not, they are a Ferrari fan. Even if you go to the Mercedes guys. Even if they say that ‘Oh yeah Mercedes is the greatest brand in the world,’ they are a Ferrari fan.”
After driving in a Ferrari for the first time in January, Hamilton drove the SF-25 for the first time on February 20. Hamilton has already stated that he is stunned by the car and eager to get to work on improving it, saying “I’ve been waiting such a long time for it, so firing the car up, it’s like such a new, uncharted journey, and it’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to me for as long as I can remember.” While his first race with the team does not come until March, Hamilton has already expressed his ambition for the season. Hamilton is hoping to achieve an 8th WDC and break the record of the legendary Ferrari driver Micheal Schumacher, who he is currently tied for the most WDC wins with at 7 each.
In anticipation of the season opener in Melbourne, questions of who Ferrari’s number-1 driver will be this season arise. While teams typically claim not to prioritize one driver over another, they often have to make choices that benefit one driver over the other due to championship standings. McLaren and Lando Norris learned the hard way during the 2024 season the consequences of not prioritizing a driver fighting for the title.
Hamilton may be the newbie at Ferrari, but he has a significant amount of experience in Formula 1, having raced at this level since 2007, and he has a record-breaking 7 titles under his belt. His high level of expertise and success in the sport make him a tough competitor. Charles Leclerc on the other hand has been with Ferrari since 2019 in Formula 1 and was a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy starting in 2016. He has more experience working with Ferrari and driving for them which could give him a leg up against Hamilton, who will need to adjust to the new car. Additionally, Leclerc has been extremely loyal to Ferrari and even nicknamed the “Prince of Ferrari.” Through all of the ups and downs that he’s faced, Leclerc has always said how much he loves racing for this team. His special connection with Ferrari could benefit him when Ferrari needs to choose who to prioritize.
So who will it be for Ferrari: their golden boy, Charles Leclerc, or the 7-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton?
Ultimately, it will come down to performance. Whichever driver is able to outperform the other will likely automatically receive the backing from the team. While WDC wins, experience, and loyalty can go a long way, it all comes down to who can actually fight for the championship. Whether it will be Leclerc or Hamilton on top this season, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
