Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari was announced on 1 February 2024, marking one of the most unforgettable moments in F1 history. No driver transfer has ever generated this much publicity.
Within two days, Hamilton took to Instagram to share his reasons for leaving Mercedes: “The time is right to make a change and take on a new challenge. I still remember the feeling of taking a leap of faith into the unknown when I first joined Mercedes in 2013.
“I know some people didn’t understand it at the time but I was right to make the move then and it’s the feeling I have again now. I’m excited to see what I can bring to this new opportunity and what we can do together.”
But by 2025, that excitement had faded. Hamilton did win the China Sprint after a slow start, but that ended up being his only podium finish all year.
There were some small signs of improvement just after the summer break, but he finished the season with three straight Q1 exits, which led many to wonder if he could still succeed at Maranello.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move was badly timed
Hamilton had long dreamed of driving for Ferrari, and believed that 2025 was the right moment to make it happen. That’s why he activated the exit clause in his Mercedes contract.
But looking back, he would have been better off staying put. While 2024 may have been a struggle against George Russell, Mercedes delivered their best car of the ground-effect era last year, finishing second in the constructors’ standings.
A move to Ferrari might have made more sense in 2026, when new regulations were set to shake up the grid. He likely could have arranged the switch ahead of time.
Ferrari didn’t impress anyone last year, but Hamilton had reasons to believe they’d be more competitive by now. The bigger issue — one he should’ve seen coming — was how much closer performance levels had become across the field.
On average, Hamilton was a quarter of a second slower than Charles Leclerc over one lap in 2025. Given Leclerc’s reputation as one of F1’s quickest qualifiers and his long-standing ties with Ferrari since 2019, that gap wasn’t huge.
But with such a tightly packed grid this season, even small differences meant big drops down the order. Leclerc averaged fifth on Saturdays, while Hamilton found himself starting around ninth most weekends.
This difference carried over into race results too. Over the season, Leclerc averaged nearly four points more per weekend than Hamilton – adding up to an 89-point difference by year’s end.
Ferrari make Lewis Hamilton-inspired car change for 2026
Hamilton says he’d been able to influence Ferrari’s 2026 car development, which was perhaps the main benefit of joining in 2025.
Indeed, Ferrari have already followed Hamilton’s advice with their steering wheel. But his poor results, partly a consequence of the extremely fine margins last year, have strained his relationship with the team.
For instance, Hamilton’s chemistry with engineer Riccardo Adami has repeatedly been questioned. While the rules may be changing for 2026, it’s not as simple as pressing a reset button.
Hamilton is better prepared for the upcoming season than he would be if he had waited an additional year. But he also enters 2026 under far more pressure.
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