According to reports, the decision to offer Lewis Hamilton a one-year Formula 1 contract instead of a longer deal was made by the top management at Mercedes. In August of last year, Mercedes announced that Hamilton had signed a two-year extension to stay with the team until 2025, alongside George Russell. However, it was revealed last week that Hamilton had negotiated an escape clause in his contract, allowing him to switch to Ferrari next year. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff explained that the decision to offer a short-term contract was made to keep options open for both Hamilton and the team. He stated, “We felt that a longer term contract would limit our options going forward so absolutely aware of all the positives and negatives and weighing it up, that is what we decided to do.”
Italian outlet Motorsport.com reports that Wolff had initially intended to offer a two-year renewal to the seven-time champion, but the decision for a shorter duration came from Mercedes’ headquarters in Stuttgart. The report suggests that the senior management at Mercedes was concerned about the possibility of Hamilton retiring suddenly, leaving the team in a difficult situation similar to what happened with Nico Rosberg in 2016. The report states, “The German parent company itself would have wanted to be cautious about Lewis’ future: the doubts were not so much that he would be enchanted by the Ferrari sirens, but rather that he might decide to stop suddenly, as Nico Rosberg had done after having won the 2016 World Championship.” The bosses at Mercedes were hopeful that Hamilton would provide clarity on his future beyond 2024 by the end of February, after testing Mercedes’ 2024 car. The intention was to have a response from Hamilton before the 2024 season began, so they could assess the competitiveness of the W15 model, which Hamilton only experienced on the simulator before deciding to join Ferrari.
Mercedes is implementing a new design for its W15 car in an effort to regain its winning form in Formula 1. Technical Director James Allison is overseeing the project and is confident that the car’s previous handling issues have been resolved. However, Mercedes faces a tough challenge in catching up to the dominant Red Bull team, who dominated the previous season, winning all but one race.
There is speculation that Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari is motivated by positioning himself in the best possible environment for the 2026 rule changes. Similar to his successful move from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton believes this strategic move will benefit his career. It is rumored that some Mercedes engineers may also follow Hamilton to Ferrari, with Performance Director Loic Serra already committed to the Italian team. Hamilton is said to have received assurances about Ferrari’s future growth and is expected to persuade others to join him in this new venture starting in 2025.
While Mercedes is disappointed by the timing of Hamilton’s departure, the team is not overly concerned due to the emergence of young talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The 17-year-old Italian driver has skipped the lower tiers of racing and will compete in Formula 2 this season. A strong performance could potentially earn him a seat alongside George Russell. Mercedes sees Antonelli as a promising prospect and believes he has the potential to become a future champion, similar to Hamilton’s rise to stardom at McLaren in 2007 when he partnered with Fernando Alonso.