Record world champion Lewis Hamilton caused a bang in Formula 1. The 39-year-old Englishman is leaving Mercedes after the upcoming season and will drive for Ferrari from 2025. The international press writes:
Great Britain:
„The Sun“: “Lewis Hamilton breaks his silence about joining Ferrari in an emotional 134-word statement following his surprise departure from Mercedes.”
„Daily Mail“: “The move will give the Brit one final chance to win his eighth world title.”
„The Times“: “The fact that he had not yet driven this year’s W15 car on track before deciding to move to Ferrari next year is devastating for Mercedes – a team already under huge pressure – and Toto Wolff, the team boss .”
„The Telegraph“: “Lewis desperately wants the eighth title that was so cruelly ripped away from him in Abu Dhabi in 2021. Had he felt that Mercedes would have been in a better position to give him that (…), there is no doubt he would have stayed. He bet that Ferrari was the better choice.”
„The Independent“: “It is the most gigantic of all shocks. (…) Maybe it even overshadows Michael Schumacher’s move from Benetton to Ferrari in 1995. Now, of course, Hamilton enters the house that Schumacher built at the turn of the century and so confidently made his own. And it is the record he shares with the German – seven world championship titles – that led him to take an incredible risk at the end of his career.”
„The Guardian“: “Hamilton has nothing left to prove as he is already the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time. But if he wins the championship at Ferrari, the deal (…) will be remembered as the moment he opened the final chapter of his great legacy in Formula 1.”
Italy:
“The Republic”: “The man of records in Formula 1 history is coming to return to the top. If Ferrari has bet big on Lewis Hamilton, even though he will be 40 in 2025, it is to entrust the Reds with an absolute talent on two wheels.”
“Corriere dello Sport”: “After hours of rumors that made the hearts of Ferrari fans beat faster, the official announcement has now arrived, first from Mercedes and then from the horse. Lewis Hamilton will move to Maranello from 2025.”
“Gazzetta dello Sport”: “The seven-time world champion will be at the helm of the Reds from next season. It is the official confirmation of the earthquake that occurred during the day, one of the most sensational blows to the Formula 1 driver market.”
“Corriere della Sera”: “Lewis Hamilton will be a Ferrari driver in 2025. The British champion will join the team on a multi-year contract from the 2025 season. Two lines that will make racing and sports history, come what may.”
„Tuttosport“: “Now it is official: Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and drive for Ferrari from 2025. The announcement came from the Italian team, which confirmed the news that shocked the motorsport world with a statement.”
France:
“The world”: “Earthquake in Formula 1.”
„RMC Sport“: “The transfer of the century: Hamilton will leave Mercedes and drive for Ferrari in 2025. The end of an era.”
„The Team“: “February 1, 2024 will be remembered in Formula 1 history as the day Ferrari bought a seven-time world champion who it is hoped will one day be an eight-time champion, beating the legend Michael Schumacher. “
Spain:
“Sports world”: “A surprise for everyone for many reasons. The signature of the century in Formula 1.”
„As“: “The announcement is short but historic: ‘Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will drive for the team from 2025 on a multi-year contract’. (…) A bang, an earthquake on the driver market, in which Hamilton is once again the focus.”
“Brand”: “The bomb of the century in Formula 1 triggers endless reactions.”
“The country”: “In a move that will undoubtedly be written in the brightest colors in the books of Formula 1 history, Ferrari tied the knot with Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver of all time.”
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“The vanguard”: “A tectonic plate shift at Ferrari and Mercedes triggered the biggest earthquake in Formula 1 for a long time.”
Netherlands:
„AD“: “The new Formula 1 season hasn’t started yet, but the first mega hit is already a fact. Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes after this year and going to Ferrari.”
USA:
„USA Today“: “Breathtaking move: Formula 1 icon Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and drive for Ferrari in 2025.”
„ESPN“: “Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari redefines everything we have thought about the coming seasons in Formula 1. In a year, the most famous and successful driver in this sport will be driving for the most historic and famous team. His contract will probably be the most lucrative in Formula 1 history.”
Switzerland:
„Blick“: “Does Hamilton, without a win for two years, really need to get gold plated again and play the red clown?”
