How Lewis Hamilton broke promise that he would ‘always’ be a Mercedes driver before Ferrari move

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Lewis Hamilton has started preparations at base ahead of his first Formula 1 season with Ferrari in 2025.

The Brit has joined the Italian outfit intending to become the only driver in the history of the sport to have won eight Drivers’ Championships.

Ferrari face an additional obstacle for Hamilton’s first car after deciding to design a completely new machine for this season, rather than developing their old car.

It means the chassis will be just as new to Charles Leclerc as it will be their new driver, making the pre-season test at Bahrain crucial before the season-opener in Australia.

Hamilton has a deal to race for Ferrari until the end of 2026 at least, seeing him through the start of the new technical regulations next year.

The Italian outfit will hope that they can retain their impressive pace with the new set of rules, otherwise, 2025 could be their last chance to achieve substantial success for a while.

Lewis Hamilton swore to ‘always’ drive for Mercedes before Ferrari move

Hamilton’s first-day duties at Ferrari will include simulator work as he prepares for life with a power unit other than a Mercedes for the first time in his 18-year career.

His McLaren tenure lasted six seasons, before he spent 12 more with the Silver Arrows, winning six championships with them.

It’s the dream of many racing drivers to don the red overall one day and he will get the opportunity to do so this season.

READ MORE: Ferrari fans think they’ve just spotted a nod to Carlos Sainz in latest Lewis Hamilton announcement

However, back in 2022, he pledged his loyalty to Mercedes in an interview with Corriere Della Sera, insisting that he would always be their driver.

“He shows a tattoo on his forearm. “Do you see what is written here? ” Loyalty”, “loyalty”,” he said.

“Of course, it would have been nice to race for Ferrari during my career, but things happen for specific reasons: Mercedes is my family, I will always be a Mercedes driver like Stirling Moss was.”

Will Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton gamble pay off in 2025?

Ferrari have taken a few gambles ahead of the 2025 season and are taking an all-in approach to the final season of the current technical regulations.

Signing Hamilton was a big coup for them. Michael Schumacher was the last seven-time champion to race for them and they were always in contention when he was around.

The feedback and positive influence on car development from the Brit with his experience hand the Maranello-based outfit an advantage over their rivals.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton took one ‘great consideration’ from Sebastian Vettel before joining Ferrari

Their 2025 is a completely new concept. Abandoning their previous car in pursuit of further performance is something which could easily backfire.

In the long term, it’s a low-risk shot to be taking. The field will undergo an effective reset in 2026 so any gambles they take this year shouldn’t hurt them too much in the future.