Lewis Hamilton's SHOCK F1 exit confirms major blow for team

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Britain, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Hamilton's SHOCK exit confirms major blow for F1 team

Hamilton joins Ferrari this year

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 16 January 2025 11:59 Updated: 22:35

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Lewis Hamilton’s shock exit from Mercedes in 2024 confirmed a major blow for a Formula 1 team.

The seven-time world champion officially became a Ferrari driver at the start of 2025, with his debut in red highly-anticipated by the F1 paddock and fans alike.

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However, his shock move to the iconic outfit meant he abandoned the Mercedes team with whom he claimed six of his seven titles, a major blow to the team in 2024 as they were left searching for a replacement.

Following the end of last season, fans have been voting in a series of GPFans' polls, from the best young driver to the best moment of the season, and most recently the unluckiest team of the year.

Lewis Hamilton will make his Ferrari debut this year

Who were the unluckiest team in 2024?

Mercedes were voted the unluckiest team in 2024 with 53 per cent of the vote, after their rivals McLaren and Ferrari joined Red Bull in the battle for the constructors’ championship, but the Brackley outfit were shy of joining the fight.

Moreover, the loss of Hamilton to Ferrari will undoubtedly be a blow to the team, with his exit confirming to fans that they were the unluckiest team of 2024.

Following behind in second, Williams secured 35 per cent of the vote after a dismal end to 2024, plagued with crashes and DNFs as the team dropped to ninth in the constructors’ standings.

Sauber claimed 12 per cent of the vote after they finished last overall in the championship, with the team not earning a point until Zhou Guanyu’s eighth-place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Finally Haas, who lifted themselves from the back of the grid and scored regular points finishes in 2024, were usurped by Alpine for sixth in the constructors’ but received zero votes - a reflection perhaps on how far they have come since the beginning of last year.