Lewis Hamilton set for Ferrari switch despite signing new Mercedes F1 deal
Lewis Hamilton is set to finish his career with Ferrari in an earth-shattering move from his beloved Mercedes.
The seven-time world champion has two years left on his current deal, signed last year. And Ferrari have long been linked with a move for the Briton throughout his career - but a move has not come to fruition.
However, this year, the biggest transfer story on football's Deadline Day comes from the Formula 1 world, as sources indicate Hamilton is close to agreeing a switch to Ferrari.
The move would not be immediate - the 39-year-old is committed to Mercedes for at least this season. It was believed that the deal he signed was for two more seasons guaranteed, but there are reports that 2025 is only an option which would leave Hamilton free to make the Ferrari switch next year.
He would join Charles Leclerc, who last month signed a new multi-year contract extension. It would mean Carlos Sainz, whose current deal expires at the end of this year, will need to find a new race seat for the 2025 season.
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And it would also leave Toto Wolff with the headache of having to replace one of F1's greatest ever drivers. George Russell also penned a two-year extension with Mercedes last year and is considered to be the future of the team.
Hamilton's switch, should he choose to make it, would be a sign that he believes Ferrari are better placed to provide him with a title-winning car than Mercedes in the coming years. The Briton's final wish before his retirement is to secure what would be a record-breaking eighth drivers' title.
Hamilton would link up with Charles Leclerc who signed a new Ferrari deal last month (Getty Images)It will not be easy with Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team currently dominating the grid. The Dutchman's advantage may well be baked in until the next major car regulation changes in 2026, by which time it seems Hamilton will be racing in a red car - if he is still on the grid at all.
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Hamilton was linked with a switch to Ferrari last year, before he signed his Mercedes extension. He insisted at the time that he had not been in contact with the Italians at all but, later in the year, admitted that he had indeed spoken to them about his future.
In 2021, he described a switch to the Scuderia as his "dream" move that had, to that point, never materialised. He said: "For many years, when I came to Monza, walking next to the fans, I could hear them saying, 'Come to Ferrari!' This warmed my heart, but it's pretty amazing that I've never driven for Ferrari in so many years.
"Because it is a dream for anyone, a goal to be achieved. It was never really been possible and I will never quite know exactly why. I wish them the best and in my near future I hope I will continue to prevent them from winning the world championship. I have a couple of Ferraris at home. I can drive those, but not the Ferrari F1."
That final part may change, though, if he puts pen to paper on the contract offered to him by the Scuderia. They have spent years trying to get their man and finally look to be on the brink of doing so. Ferrari will hope Hamilton can be the man to deliver their first world title since 2008.
As for Sainz, his most likely destination currently looks to be the Sauber team currently branded as Stake F1. It is set to become the official Audi works team from 2026 and the Spaniard has held talks on multiple occasions with the German carmaker, with whom his rallying star dad Carlos Sainz Sr is closely affiliated.
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