Formula 1 stole the show on football's transfer Deadline Day with news of Lewis Hamilton's decision to quit Mercedes for Ferrari.
Hamilton will leave the Silver Arrows at the end of the upcoming 2024 season before starting afresh in Italy at the grand young age of 40. He will partner Charles Leclerc, while poor Carlos Sainz finds himself out in the cold.
It's the biggest F1 driver move since Hamilton joined Mercedes ahead of 2013. Many thought it was a mistake for the Briton to quit McLaren at the time, but the six titles that have come since prove that it was an inspired call.
Plenty will question this new move too, but it remains to be seen how Hamilton will get on in scarlet overalls. You can see how the whole day unfolded by scrolling through our live updates below.
Thanks very much for following our live blog as we covered the biggest F1 driver move story in more than a decade.
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The Japanese Grand Prix will continue to be a staple on the Formula 1 calendar for years to come.
A true fans' favourite track, Suzuka keeps its place up to and including the 2029 season thanks to a new five-year contract. And its annual slot has now been moved earlier in the year to April, meaning F1 cars will be racing against the backdrop of Japan's beautiful cherry blossom season.
F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said: "Suzuka is a special circuit and part of the fabric of the sport, so I am delighted that F1 will continue to race there until at least 2029. Our fans in Japan embrace Formula 1 with a unique passion and we look forward to working with the promoter to give fans the experience they deserve for years to come."
Suzuka's place on the F1 calendar is secure (Getty Images)It's not easy to say right now, given there is still a whole season ahead before Hamilton departs for Ferrari.
Mercedes have plenty of time to fill his seat and so will surely not rush into anything. So those who are potentially in the frame will spend this year auditioning for one of the top seats on the F1 grid.
Carlos Sainz will no doubt be a contender, seeing as he will definitely be on the move now he has lost his place at Ferrari. Mercedes will be able to offer him a top seat, but he may have already agreed to join the new Audi project.
Alex Albon's fine form, and the link Williams have with Mercedes, will make him a top candidate, while Esteban Ocon will also be in the frame as his career is still managed by the Silver Arrows. Whether they get picked will depend on how they perform this season.
And, let's not forget, Mercedes have plenty of talented youngsters on the books. Mick Schumacher, Frederik Vesti and maybe even talented teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli could all be considered.
A whisper in the ear of a journalist from Anthony Hamilton many years ago began the chain of events which led to today's earth-shattering announcement.
Mick Schumacher free to race for McLaren in 2023 after Mercedes deal reached
Lewis Hamilton's father has been closely involved in the seven-time world champion's career. And it seems he was pretty adamant from very early on that his boy would one day race in the famous red of Ferrari.
Read more about how that happened HERE.
Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony played a major role in the Brit's racing career (Getty Images)Eddie Jordan, that is, rather than Katie Price.
The former F1 team owner said last year that he could see the Brit quitting Mercedes for a fresh start with the Scuderia. He said: "In my opinion, there's only one place he could go, and that is Ferrari.
"He is a guy with the talent that he has, and I think it might be a match made in heaven. I believe Ferrari needs shaking up, and Lewis Hamilton needs shaking up if they are going to continue.
"If Lewis is going to continue, then I think he needs a change. For his mindset, for his drive, for an initiative, for fun. Learning Italian and dealing with and eating pasta with those guys - it's a different world. Having run a team, we always saw how differently Ferrari operates, and I would love to see Lewis in that environment.
"I think he could truly shake them up, bring a new sense of direction, and eradicate many of the little problems Ferrari has had. Therefore, I would like to see Lewis there for a year or two before he fully retires. It's an amazing story."
Eddie Jordan will be delighted to see Lewis Hamilton join Ferrari (Getty Images)Lewis Hamilton's first public words since he decided to walk away from Mercedes have been said.
He said: "I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I'm so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old.
"It's a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. But the time is right for me to take this step and I'm excited to be taking on a new challenge.
"I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto (Wolff, Mercedes' team principal) for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together. I am 100 per cent committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember."
For more on this and for Toto Wolff's quotes on the subject, read more HERE.
(ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)Lewis Hamilton has made no secret of the fact he loves Ferrari.
But throughout his career that has never been enough to convince him to switch. So what is different this time?
Several factors, of course - but one of the main ones is that Ferrari are these days led by a man, Frederic Vasseur, who played a major role in getting Hamilton to where he is today. And it seems the prospect of teaming up against proved irresistible.
Read more about Hamilton and Vasseur's relationship HERE.
Lewis Hamilton and Frederic Vasseur first worked together almost 20 years ago (Getty Images)Sadly for Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari means there will no longer be room there for him.
The Spaniard has posted his own social media message to tell fans that he will be leaving at the end of the year, and that he will provide an update on his next move "in due course".
pic.twitter.com/WbedglDjGT
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) February 1, 2024
And now the other piece of the puzzle is in place.
Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season. The team says he has signed a multi-year contract, indicating that the seven-time world champion will still be racing in F1 in 2026 and possibly beyond.
Team Statement
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 1, 2024
Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team in 2025, on a multi-year contract. pic.twitter.com/moEMqUgzXH
Lewis Hamilton is going to leave Mercedes and will join Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season. That has now been officially confirmed by the team.
This is not only massive news in the F1 world, but also in trading and finance.
The Ferrari parent company's stock price has rocketed today, on the back of news that Hamilton will be joining. And it has earned BILLIONS for shareholders!
Read more HERE.
Lewis Hamilton looks set to earn Ferrari shareholders billions (Getty Images)Some might suggest that Lewis Hamilton is following in the footsteps of Michael Schumacher by joining Ferrari.
But the F1 legend's brother Ralf insists that is not the case. Instead, he is sure that the lure of F1's biggest brand is what has tempted Hamilton to quit Mercedes and possibly end his career driving a red car.
He said: "I think Lewis, maybe it's his dream, I've not spoken to him. I don't think he's doing it because of Michael, I think Ferrari is one of the places to be in the history of Formula 1."
Read more about what Ralf said of Hamilton's big move HERE.
Lewis Hamilton is on the brink of joining Ferrari (AFP via Getty Images)When Lewis Hamilton signed his latest contract extension last year, it was expected that it would keep him with the team until the end of 2025.
After all, it was widely reported as being a two-year deal. But it seems the reality is not as black and white as that, given he will now be departing at the end of 2024.
Read about the 'break' clause which has facilitated this massive move HERE.
When Lewis Hamilton leaves for Ferrari, space will be made for George Russell to become the main man at Mercedes.
And that's a role in which Martin Brundle is sure the 25-year-old will thrive. "He'll be thinking, 'That's good - I am the top man here unquestionably now," said the Sky Sports F1 favourite of Russell.
It remains to be seen who the Brit's new team-mate will be from the 2025 season onwards. But you can read more about Brundle's belief that Russell will be able to take over the mantle from Hamilton HERE.
Martin Brundle has given his view on what George Russell's reaction might be (Getty Images/Sky Sports)Turns out, this massive decision was made very recently - and Toto Wolff didn't even know about it until last night.
It is understood that is when Hamilton informed his boss that he would be leaving at the end of the coming season. So Mercedes media staff have no doubt been scrambling around today to get announcements ready with little warning!
Hamilton's expected move to Ferrari means of course that, after this season, there will be no room at the team for Carlos Sainz.
He was previously expected to sign a new contract with the Italians, but it seems the team has changed their mind since getting wind that Hamilton might be available.
It remains to be seen what Sainz will do after this year. But the most likely outcome will be that he joins the Sauber outfit which will race this year as the Stake F1 team.
Of course, that outfit is due to become the Audi works team in 2026, when the German carmaker makes its F1 debut. The Sainz family has lots of connections with Audi so it would be no surprise to see the Spaniard become the figurehead for that project.
But he may be tempted by Red Bull if Christian Horner decides Sainz is the best man to replace Sergio Perez this year. It will be interesting to see if the Spaniard can have his head turned by the prospect of going toe-to-toe with Max Verstappen.
Carlos Sainz will leave Ferrari when Lewis Hamilton joins (Getty Images)Ralf Schumacher reckons his nephew Mick may be in the frame to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
Young Schumacher is the Silver Arrows' reserve driver. And he is liked a lot by Toto Wolff who jumped at the chance to bring him on board after he was axed by Haas at the end of 2022.
Ralf concedes there will be plenty of options for Mercedes when the time comes to fill the chasm left by Hamilton. But he is adamant that Mick will be one of them.
Worth remembering, though, that he is the 24-year-old's uncle so is a little biased on the subject.
Anyway, you can read more about what Ralf said HERE.
Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher could be a candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton (Getty Images)The stock market have responded to news that Lewis Hamilton is set to confirm a future move to Ferrari.
And investors are clearly taking a favourable view on it from Ferrari's standpoint. The parent company's stock price has rocketed today and currently sits more than nine percent above where it was when trading began.
You can imagine it will only continue to rise when the markets open again on Friday, if the move is indeed confirmed by then.
The Ferrari stock price at 3.30pm on Thursday showed a significant price rise (Getty Images)Lewis Hamilton's impending Ferrari switch is not just the biggest story in the F1 world - it's also taking the gloss away from football's January transfer Deadline Day!
We've seen some iconic moments from coverage in the past, few more so than the time when West Brom attacker Peter Odemwingie turned up at QPR in the hope of forcing through a move that never happened.
Naturally, the folks on the Silverstone social media team have put their PhotoShop skills to good use to compare today's Hamilton saga to that hilarious moment!
it's giving deadline day#F1 #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/ppQ2cx5TEY
— Silverstone (@SilverstoneUK) February 1, 2024
Here we go, then - it looks like we won't have to wait long for official word!
It is understood Mercedes plan to make a statement on the subject tonight. 7pm is the given time at the moment but that is certainly not set in stone.
In any case, we look likely to have this story resolved today.
Lewis Hamilton has called this Mercedes team his "family" - yet, he is set to walk away at the end of this year.
He will be 40 years old by the time he races for the first time with Ferrari. And it is clear that is a major factor - time is running out for Hamilton to win the eighth world title he covets before he retires from F1.
Hamilton will have spent a lot of time assessing the current landscape and judging in which direction the wind is blowing. Clearly, it seems he has come to the conclusion that Ferrari will be able to offer him a better chance of beating Max Verstappen than Mercedes in the coming years.
More analysis of this massive move HERE.
Lewis Hamilton has ruled out a move to Ferrari before his F1 career ends (Getty Images)There have been some exciteable reponses to the news this morning - few more so than from Martin Brundle and David Croft.
The Sky Sports F1 favourites have given their verdicts after hearing Lewis Hamilton is on his way to Ferrari. And both of them are on the same page that, as far as F1 is concerned, this is a great move.
You can read more on what they had to say on the subject HERE.
Martin Brundle and David Croft are excited by Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari move (Getty Images)According to Sky Sports' Rachel Brookes, the deal is done and Mercedes staff have now all been told about Lewis Hamilton's impending exit.
Still nothing official from either Mercedes or Ferrari. Nevertheless, it seems to be just a matter of time now until that comes.
Still 'no comment' from either team on this story - but Toto Wolff is right now briefing Mercedes staff on the situation.
It makes sense that the team will want to tell its employees first, even if they have no doubt already learned of the impending move from news sources online.
But once those conversations are over, all that will be left to do will be to make the official announcement that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes at the end of the coming season to join Ferrari.
Toto Wolff is going to brief Mercedes staff about the situation this afternoon.
That means, realistically, the deal could be announced at any time. There have been suggestions that it is likely to be sooner rather than later - particularly now that the cat is out of the bag.
Basically, Deadline Day is not going to be all about football this year... and this deal will be bigger than any Premier League move that happens today, that's for sure!
Lewis Hamilton admitted last year: "I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought about ending my career anywhere else."
He went on to speak about the prospect of returning to his old McLaren team before calling time on his F1 career. His other potential destination? Ferrari, of course.
The Briton has also previously described a move to the Scuderia as a "dream" and lamented that fact that, up to that point, it had never happened.
You can read more about what Hamilton has said about joining Ferrari HERE.
Lewis Hamilton is on the brink of joining Ferrari (AFP via Getty Images)Given the number of times Hamilton has been linked with a Ferrari move, this is hardly the first time Leclerc has considered the idea of being team-mates with the seven-time world champion.
He was asked about it as recently as last summer. And the Monegasque made it clear he would be thrilled at the prospect of teaming up with the Briton.
He said: "Lewis is such an incredible driver, has achieved so much in the sport, so I think anybody on the grid would love to have Lewis as a team-mate, as everybody would learn a lot from him."
More on those quotes from Leclerc HERE.
Lewis Hamilton looks set to team up with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari (Getty Images)New of Hamilton's impending switch to Ferrari from Mercedes brings back memories of a famous quote from Sebastian Vettel.
During his own days racing for the Scuderia, the German F1 legend asserted: "Everybody is a Ferrari fan. Even if they're not... they're a Ferrari fan.
"Even if you go to the Mercedes guys, even if they say, 'Oh yeah, Mercedes is the greatest brand in the world', they are Ferrari fans."
Safe to say a lot of the Mercedes staff won't be huge fans of Ferrari right now of they do lose their star driver to the Italians...
Sebastian Vettel would surely approve of Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari switch (Getty Images)A telling reaction from Red Bull Racing over on theri Instagram Threads account...
Max Verstappen will still have Lewis Hamilton to worry about - except his main F1 rival will be in a red car rather than a silver or black one!
Red Bull's social media reaction to news of Lewis Hamilton's big move (Red Bull Racing/Threads)Should Hamilton confirm his Ferrari move, there is no doubt who he will be partnering in 2025 and beyond.
Charles Leclerc signed a new deal with the Scuderia only last month. The length of that extension was not made public, though there are suggestions he may have committed until 2029.
Sadly for Carlos Sainz, it means there will be no room for him at the team after this year. But he will not be short of options and so will not be worrying for the future of his F1 career just yet.
The Spaniard has been most heavily linked with Audi and could be the team's star signing ahead of its big 2026 rebrand. Alternatively, he could be an attractive option to Red Bull should they choose to replace Sergio Perez this year.
Lewis Hamilton looks set to join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari (Getty Images)
