F1 News: Jenson Button surprised by Lewis Hamilton's decision not to RETIRE

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Former team-mate surprised by Hamilton's decision not to RETIRE

The seven-time world champion has decided to challenge himself with a new chapter

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 4 February 2024 15:54

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Lewis Hamilton's former McLaren team-mate Jenson Button has said that it's a 'big deal' for the seven-time world champion's legacy to be moving to a different team so late on.

The 39-year-old is aiming to extend his stay in the sport way into his 40s, after signing a multi-year contract with Ferrari which will not come into force until 2025.

It means he will be leaving the Mercedes team that he will have spent 12 seasons with at the end of this current season.

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Hamilton will follow in the footsteps of another seven-time world champion in Michael Schumacher by trying to win with the Maranello-based team, who have not been able to claim a championship since 2008.

Lewis Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in 2025

Jenson Button drove alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren for three seasons

Hamilton's Ferrari gamble

Button partnered Hamilton at McLaren in the early part of the Stevenage-born racer's career, forming a British dream-team for three seasons.

Now, the 44-year-old, who is still going strong in his own racing career, has added what this move could mean for Hamilton's F1 career.

“Surprised? Yeah!", the 2009 world champion proclaimed.

“It’s a big deal making this change in your career when you’ve been at one team for so long, to suddenly jump into someone else’s team, it’s tough. So fair play to Lewis, it’s a toughie.

“Obviously 12 years at Mercedes is longer than most people spend in Formula 1. So to spend it with one team and achieve what they have, maybe he also wanted something different, to spice it up a little bit.

“We all get to that point in our career where it’s like: ‘you know what? I’ve done what I set out to achieve’ and you choose to retire. Whereas he’s gone the other route and gone: ‘you know what? I feel I need a change, I’m going to go to Ferrari.’

“I cannot wait to see how he goes in the Ferrari. The weird thing is it’s quite an early call though, right? It’s a year before he’ll be stepping into the Ferrari, so how is that going to be at Mercedes?”