SUMMARY
- Mercedes did not meet Lewis Hamilton's contract demands.
- Lewis received unbelievable contract from Ferrari.
With the car reveals already begun, the spotlight stays on Lewis Hamilton and his shock move to Ferrari. Hamilton signed a 2-year contract with Mercedes in 2023. This contract would have seen him driving for the team until the end of the 2025 season.
However, Hamilton has chosen to activate a release clause and make his way to Ferrari. This decision shocked millions of fans around the world. There is a lot of speculation as to why this decision was made by the British driver.
Why did Lewis Hamilton choose to leave Mercedes?
Before signing a contract extension in 2023, Lewis and Mercedes showed a lot of loyalty to one another. Back then, there were rumors going around that he would join Ferrari. But these rumors were rejected and both sides expressed their interest to continue their relationship. Lewis even said he sees himself retiring with Mercedes.
On February 1st, a random Thursday, rumors started again stating that Hamilton would be joining Ferrari. These rumors were ignored by most fans as a new contract extension was just signed. However, when Sky Sports F1 posted the same, the rumors became everything but official.
Mercedes board not wanting Lewis Hamilton as ambassador.
And now Ferrari is supporting Mission 44 and is ready to invest into Lewis other projects.You can’t make this up. Mercedes fumbled up badly. pic.twitter.com/fYN0vBMKcK
— Stefanie (@fastpitstop) February 2, 2024
Later that day, Mercedes announced that he would be leaving the team after the 2024 season to join Ferrari. Since then, a lot of fans have wondered why this decision was made.
It has been reported that Hamilton wanted a 2+2 year extension with Mercedes in 2023. However, the board did not want to offer this contract as they were not certain if Hamilton would still be able to perform at the age of 41. Hence, Mercedes only offered a 1+1 contract.
This prompted him to reach out to Ferrari and look at his options. He believes that a stint with Ferrari will provide him with a new challenge and a change of work environment. He is hoping that he can emulate what Michael Schumacher did after putting on the red race suit.
#F1 | It’s been reported that Lewis Hamilton’s contract negotiations with Ferrari indicated that he wanted several agreements to ensure the future of Mission 44. And John Elkann proposes to develop Lewis Hamilton’s empire. An agreement that could reach 400 million euros. 🚨‼️… pic.twitter.com/bkE36Bnosf
— deni (@fiagirly) February 2, 2024
It has been reported that Ferrari is paying hundreds of millions to Lewis Hamilton. His salary with the team is estimated to be around $80 million. In addition to this, he will be able to earn another $20 million in bonuses. Apart from this, Ferrari chairman John Elkann has agreed to invest around $250 million in Hamilton’s business and projects.
There is no doubt that Hamilton’s stint with Ferrari will improve his $270 million net worth by a lot. It will be interesting to see how Hamilton settles with the team and if he is able to win another Championship in the coming years.
Lewis Hamilton fans react to Mercedes’ proposal rejection
By not offering Hamilton what he wanted, they lost a significant part of the team to one of their rivals. Fans are considering this to be a huge fumble by the team.
If Mercedes had given Lewis what he wanted, he could have chosen to trust the team. Hamilton would have continued to stay with the team and become the team’s brand ambassador as planned. There is no doubt that Hamilton would have been a part of the team even after he retired from racing.
However, Mercedes seems to have dropped the ball. There is no doubt that Ferrari decided to benefit from this and get the driver they always wanted.
In the last decade, the Prancing Horses have approached Lewis several times. However, the timing was never right for the British driver. Hamilton has also expressed his desire to drive for Ferrari but said it would be a long shot as he was loyal to Mercedes.