McLaren F1 driver exit confirmed after BOMBSHELL email

Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton - 2024 Spanish GP — Photo: © IMAGO

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McLaren F1 driver exit confirmed after BOMBSHELL email

Lewis Hamilton has recently swapped teams again

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 20 January 2025 18:57 Updated: 15:24

A Mercedes insider who spent time alongside Lewis Hamilton has revealed some details about his exit from McLaren back in 2012.

Hamilton went on to become a seven-time world champion at Mercedes, winning six of those titles and 84 grands prix across a 12-season spell with the Brackley outfit.

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He has now joined Ferrari, the third team of his legendary career, and he will race with them from the 2025 season in a last-ditch attempt to win an eighth world championship title before his career comes to an end.

Lewis Hamilton has officially joined Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton used to drive with McLaren

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Hamilton's McLaren exit

Hamilton raced with McLaren between 2007-2012, claiming his first world championship title back in 2008 with the team, establishing himself as one of the best drivers on the grid.

Following three seasons alongside fellow Brit Jenson Button, Hamilton decided to ditch the Woking outfit and instead join Mercedes, in what was a surprise move at the time.

Now, Matt Whyman, author of Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane in which he spent 18 months with the Mercedes team and alongside Hamilton, has revealed a secret that the Brit told him about his exit from McLaren all those years ago.

At the time, Ron Dennis was McLaren owner and chairman, although he had left his team principal position, and Dennis was known to be one of the toughest people to deal with in the F1 paddock.

"When he left McLaren as a much younger driver, he bottled doing it face to face and he was overseas somewhere and he just did it by email and he felt bad about it," Whyman revealed on The Fast and the Curious podcast.

"But you know we can all kind of relate to that you know you've got a difficult thing to do and you just think 'I'll send an email or just leave it there, please, please let it go to voice message.'"

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Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes 2025 season