Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris in Spain — Photo: © IMAGO

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Shock Hamilton McLaren RETURN claim made as star gears up for huge 2025 move

Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes to drive for Ferrari from the 2025 season and beyond

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 17 December 2024 01:00

A shock claim has emerged regarding Lewis Hamilton and a potential move back to his former team McLaren.

Hamilton's time at Mercedes is now officially over, with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion gearing up for a blockbuster move to Ferrari for the 2025 season and beyond.

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The season finale in Abu Dhabi marked Hamilton's final race with Mercedes, bringing to an end the most successful partnership in the sport's history, with the British icon's efforts helping the team secure 14 titles across the drivers' and constructors' championships.

However, as his exit from the team has been made official, a surprise claim has been made regarding a return to the team where he won his first-ever drivers' crown.

Lewis Hamilton has now officially waved goodbye to Mercedes F1 team

Lewis Hamilton McLaren return

The Brit duly repaid the faith McLaren had shown in him, scooping the first of his seven world championships with the team in 2008 — the Woking-based outfit's last drivers' championship success.

Now, Stephen Lord, Race Team Co-ordinator at Mercedes and one of Lewis' closest colleagues has revealed that he expected Hamilton to return to the Woking-based outfit when he eventually departed the team.

Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 drivers' championship with McLaren

Speaking on an episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast in honor of Hamilton, Lord was asked if he was surprised by the Ferrari move, to which he dropped the McLaren bombshell.

"Not at all," Lord replied. "Because I think that’s been his plan all along.

"A few years ago it came up in conversation. I actually thought he’d be tempted back to McLaren, but I was completely wrong.

"We had a conversation years ago and he always said that he felt most drivers had a desire to at some point in their career to drive a Ferrari."

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Formula 1 McLaren Abu Dhabi