Zhou Guanyu makes Lewis Hamilton ‘retire’ claim after inside knowledge of Ferrari F1 move

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Sauber star Zhou Guanyu believes Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes to ‘retire as a Ferrari driver’ after the Stake F1 Team racer revealed his inside knowledge about the switch.

The 2025 F1 driver market sprung into life last week with the bombshell news that Hamilton has decided to leave Mercedes for Ferrari from next year. He has agreed a multi-year deal to replace Carlos Sainz and race in red, ending Formula 1’s most successful driver-team pair.

Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 after six years and one drivers’ championship using their engines at McLaren. He has since matched Michael Schumacher’s record of seven drivers’ titles. Now, the Briton could eclipse the German with Ferrari, where he won five of his titles.

Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and join Ferrari from the 2025 F1 season

Hamilton has also registered 82 of his record 103 Grand Prix wins, 80 pole positions and 148 podiums with Mercedes. But he went winless through 2022 and 2023 after the Silver Arrows stuck with a zero-pod concept. The 39-year-old also only sealed one pole and 15 podiums.

So, the 39-year-old sought changes at the start of 2024 by adding former right-hand man, Marc Hynes, back to his personal entourage. Hamilton had split with Penni Thow’s company Copper at the end of 2023 having elected against renewing his contract after only two years.

Zhou Guanyu had inside information on Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes

Hynes also works closely with Sauber star Zhou. So, the Stake F1 Team driver reached out to discuss the rumours about Hamilton leaving Mercedes for Ferrari before the teams formally announced it. Zhou also says he was ‘really shocked’ Hamilton was leaving the Silver Arrows.

But, now the initial surprise has settled, Zhou does not blame Hamilton for moving to Ferrari from 2025. The 24-year-old sees the obvious appeal of a move to Maranello plus the chance for Hamilton to retire at Ferrari. Even if it will have shocked those back in Mercedes’ factory.

“I didn’t check [the reaction to Hamilton’s move] that much,” he told RacingNews365. “But people probably didn’t believe it, or 90% of the people, when rumours came out.

“I know Marc, which is his kind of management together with me. I text him before it, so I knew he was signing. It was a fact. I didn’t tell anyone but I was really shocked by the news. But I think the people back there, it’s going to be even more shocking.

“I think as a driver, especially Lewis, I think he is seeing himself to retire as a Ferrari driver. It’s obviously very nice to have. I don’t blame him for having this kind of feeling.”

Lewis Hamilton has long-held desires to retire as a Ferrari champion

Zhou might not be that far off the truth as Hamilton has long-held desires about retiring as a Ferrari driver. Matt Bishop, who worked with the Stevenage-born star for McLaren, has also now revealed Hamilton confided desires to bow out of F1 as a champion with the Scuderia.

“What I’d really like to do, one day, is drive for Ferrari,” Bishop has recalled Hamilton telling him after the 2015 Japanese GP for Motor Sport Magazine. “That would be a great way to end my F1 career, wouldn’t it? To win championships for McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari?”

Ferrari have not had a drivers’ champion since Kimi Raikkonen beat Hamilton to the title by a point in 2007 whilst the Briton was a rookie in F1 with McLaren. The Scuderia also pipped the Woking squad for their last constructors’ title as Hamilton won his first drivers’ title in 2008.