Mercedes have released a statement confirming bombshell reports that Lewis Hamilton will quit the team at the end of the year to join Ferrari.
The F1 offseason has been relatively quiet since the 2023 campaign came to an end with all driver seats long secured for the upcoming season.
But that changed on Wednesday morning when shock reports emerged that Hamilton was set to leave Mercedes in a bombshell switch to Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion signed a two-year contract with Mercedes at the end of last season.
Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the year
GETTY
He suggested it wouldn’t be his last in F1, although all indications suggested he would remain with Mercedes.
However, reports claimed that his new deal included a release clause at the end of the 2024 season.
Hamilton is now cashing in on that opportunity to leave Mercedes a year early to realise a childhood dream in driving for Ferrari.
The British sporting icon has long teased a potential move to Ferrari, but suggested years ago that the ship had sailed.
