F1 champion Lewis Hamilton reveals dangerous Mercedes risk forced exit

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton reveals dangerous Mercedes risk forced exit

Lewis Hamilton has revealed new details behind his Mercedes exit

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 4 February 2025 08:27 Updated: 12:30

Lewis Hamilton has revealed the risk that forced him to exit Mercedes and join Formula 1 rivals Ferrari in 2025.

The seven-time world champion shocked F1 and fans alike last year, when he announced he would be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari for the following season.

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Despite earning six of his world titles and enjoying a dominant period in the sport with Mercedes, their performances in the past three seasons have often left Hamilton frustrated.

The 40-year-old endured his longest winless drought in his career from the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix until Silverstone in 2024, and has failed to find himself in championship contention in his final years with Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton competed in his last race with Mercedes in 2024

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However, Hamilton has since unveiled the further risk he would have been confronted with if he remained with Mercedes, in a brand new admission.

“Ultimately, every new opportunity is a total leap of faith,” Hamilton said in a conversation with LinkedIn.

“None of us can predict the future so changing jobs, or in my case teams, is always going to come with some level of risk. But I believe there's more of a risk in staying somewhere you're comfortable and in getting complacent.

“Call it instinct or a gut feeling, but I knew that signing with Ferrari was the right move for me and that it would give me the challenge I needed.

“There are so many incredible people in the team that I can't wait to work with, and I have total faith that we'll achieve great things together.

“I look at every Formula 1 season like a new chapter. Even in the years when I've won races, trophies and championships, I've known that nothing is guaranteed for the season ahead.

“My approach is to work hard every single day to make sure when I get back in that car I'm not just as good as I was the season before, but better.

“That mindset and continually making progress no matter how big or small, is what has pushed me to achieve more than I ever thought possible.”

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Formula 1 Silverstone